


Nineteen Days Later

by Tuzilla



Series: Nineteen Days Later from Tuzilla [1]
Category: Harry Potter - Fandom, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hermione Granger-centric, Post-Canon, Powerful Hermione
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 06:22:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 41
Words: 66,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13382007
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tuzilla/pseuds/Tuzilla
Summary: What did I do? Where are my parents? I want them back? Hermione and friends must travel halfway around the world in a desperate search to find and unhex her parents from the spells she cast on them. Can she do it?I would love to hear your comments. Thanks.





	1. Hermione's Question

Hermione’s Question  
Harry found Hermione sitting on the parapet of the astronomy tower gazing out over the surrounding landscape. From that height, much of the damage to Hogwarts from the battle that took place nineteen days earlier was less evident. It was like all of it might have just been a bad dream.  
The crews of workers were removing the damage and repairing Hogwarts at a rapid pace. Rooves were being patched, walls rebuild and fallen items repaired and replaced. It could never be the same place it was before the battle. History would adhere to it like a Permanent Sticking Charm. However, it would soon be ready to return to service, and to start building a new, hopefully, bright history.  
The bodies of the dead from both sides had all been collected and properly buried, more than two hundred, alone, from under the bridge collapsed by Neville and Seamus. Many of them had been claimed by their grieving families. Dead animals, such as acromantulas, were transported deep into the Forbidden Forest to decay. The thick, putrid stench common to most battlefields caused by all of the spilled death was fading, as well. It was not even discernable up top of the towers.  
Hermione was so still that it was almost like she had been hit with a full-body bind curse and placed there to mimic one of the many gargoyles decorating the tops of the castle. Her only movement, involuntary as it was, was her hair moving about in the high-up, constant breeze that kept the flags atop the castle in perpetual motion. Not wanting to interrupt her deep thoughts, Harry sat down off to her side to wait until she acknowledged his presence.  
Finally, after several moments had passed, she leaned back, supporting herself with her hands and looked over at him. "Do you remember when you first found out you were a wizard? Do you remember your first day here?"  
"Yes," replied Harry. "It is pretty hard to forget that. Do you?"  
"Of course," came the answer in that way only Hermione could say it. "I was reading a book when there was a knock at the door. When I answered it, I found this oddly dressed woman standing on the steps. It was almost as though she was dressed up for Halloween, which was strange considering it was the middle of August. She asked if my parents were at home."  
Harry chuckled. "We were hiding from my Hogwarts letters in a nasty, cold hut out on a rock at the seashore. They were driving my uncle barmy. He and my aunt were trying to hide me from finding out about my past and future."  
"It was a dark and stormy night. Then Hagrid burst in. Oh, I'm sorry," said Harry, realizing he had interrupted Hermione. "It was quite a scene."  
"I imagine so. Hagrid." Hermione could not help but laugh a bit before continuing with her story. "Anyway, I ask who I should say is here to see them. She said Minerva McGonagall from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry like she was saying something as common as Oxford or Cambridge. I remember giving her a weird look and then going to tell my folks."  
"I suppose McGonagall in one of her capes and hat was quite a sight," mused Harry. "She really does look quite witchy. She must have given your parents a bit of a start. At least she wasn't carrying a broom."  
"My parents came in and we all sat down. She introduced herself and explained who she was and why she was there. We were all pretty skeptical at first. I mean really. Your daughter is a witch. She sounded like a crackpot. At sixes and sevens. But the more she talked, the more sense she made. I had noticed a few things I couldn't explain. By the end, we were all excited about the whole thing. My folks took it really well."  
"Better than my aunt and uncle, and Dudley. First, my uncle tried to shoot Hagrid, but Hagrid broke his gun. Then Dudley tried to eat my birthday cake while Hagrid and my aunt and uncle were arguing. Hagrid gave Dudley a pigtail," said Harry with a laugh. "I don't really know if it ever went away."  
"Really? A pigtail," laughed Hermione.  
"Yeah," replied Harry. "A big old curly pig tail.”   
The two of them laughed for longer than what may have seemed normal. The tensions of the past were still in need of release. A good laugh like this was very therapeutic and not to be missing or cut short.  
“Anyway, Hagrid gave me my Hogwarts letter and explained who he was and who I was. He told me the real facts about my parents. It didn't take long for me to decide to leave with him. Just about anything would have been better than staying on with my aunt and uncle."  
"So how did you get onto the train to Hogwarts?" asked Harry. "Hagrid left me at the station and I found my way most of the way to Platform 9 ¾, but if I had not accidentally heard Mrs. Weasley directing the family to the actual entrance, I am not sure if I ever would have figured it out."  
"We had help from the Ministry," said Hermione standing up and stretching. "From the time my parents agreed to my going, the Ministry assigned two aides to guide us. They took us to Diagon Alley to purchase all of my supplies. Then, on leaving day, they took us to the Platform and got me onto the train. They really treated my parents well. But they did put a spell on them to prevent them from telling any regular muggles about their daughter the witch."  
"People would have thought they were daft, anyway," jibed Harry with a smirk.  
"Oh shut up!" she said with her special Hermione grin.  
Harry got up and they started to walk toward the stairway down from the tower. "I still remember the first time we met. You were looking for Neville's toad. You came in while Ron and I were eating sweets."  
"Pigging out is more like it," said Hermione with a laugh. "You were sitting there with your broken glasses and Ron was using some pathetic joke of a spell trying to turn Scabbers yellow. I don't know what I ever saw in either of you."  
"Saw in us?" said Harry with mock indignation. "You with your bossy, little, smarter than you attitude. Look what I can do and you better get dressed properly."  
'I did fix your glasses for you."  
"Well, yeah. Thanks for that," said Harry, a touch of humble in his voice.  
"Sometimes I wonder how we ever got together," said Hermione with a bit of wonder in her voice. "You really were quite mean to me early on. You're lucky I didn't know any really good spells back then. Oh, the things I might have done to the lot of you."  
The pair of them began descending the stairway of the tower. The Astronomy Tower, being the tallest of the Hogwarts towers, had almost too many stairs to count. At least they were now going down. The long trek up them was a true workout.  
"Everyone was pretty mean to you at first," said Harry, putting an arm around her shoulder and pulling her closer. "You were a bit of a know-it-all. Didn't go over well with a lot of folks. But we love you more for it, now."  
"I know. I'm sorry. But I felt a lot of pressure being a muggle-born witch in with all of you folks with real magical parents. Maybe I overcompensated a bit."  
"A bit?" snided Harry. "A bit?"  
Hermione pulled away and hit him with feigned ire, then started laughing. She could not deny the truth.  
"I guess we have to be thankful Quirrel let in that troll. If it wasn't for that, who knows if we'd have ever sorted ourselves out," observed Harry.  
"Yes, what made you and Ron come looking for me instead of going with the rest of the house?" asked Hermione quizzically. "I never have figured out why you did that."  
"I don't really know," said Harry as they continued their descent of the stairs. "I never really thought about that. That's a good question. Maybe we were feeling guilty about all the teasing and stuff."  
"Well, I am glad you did. I thought I was going to die."  
"I am glad we did, too," smiled Harry. "Can you believe Ron knocked that troll out? I can't believe he got that spell right."  
"Hahaha," laughed Hermione. "Yes. Especially after we had argued about it in class earlier."  
"What made you take the blame for us?" asked Harry. "I never expected that."  
"Maybe I was feeling a little guilty about the way I acted, and then you still came to my rescue. It was really brave of you."  
"Or a little stupid, but I am glad we did it. Where would we be without each other? I cannot imagine us succeeding without all three of us. We really turned into an amazing team.  
"Well, us and a few others might have helped a bit, too," pointed out Hermione.  
"Yes, we did have a fair bit of help. But the three of us did some amazing stuff. Still, I hurt a lot for all we went through and for all of the people we lost. I will never lose that pain."  
"So, that brings me to the question I was pondering up there," said Hermione, stopping their descent and hesitating before turning to Harry and looking him in the eyes as she put a hand on each of his shoulders. "Knowing what we know now, and everything we went through, if this was the day you opened your Hogwarts letter, and it told you everything that was going to be in front of you for the next seven years, would you still have gotten onto that train?"


	2. Harry's Answer

It was Harry's turn to stand motionless like he had been frozen in time. A natural reaction would be to say Hell No! Are you crazy? No one would fault him if he said just that. In fact, one might think him quite insane if he did not say something to that effect. How could a rational person be willing to put himself through the past several years? That would be crazy, indeed. She was almost surprised he was holding off on just such an answer.  
But Harry seemed to be giving it some actual thought. After all, there was quite a bit to consider beyond an initial first reaction to such an incredibly complex question. If he just said "No", then where would he be today? Would he have managed to survive life with the Dursley's? Would Voldemort still have managed to track him down? How would his life be unfolding, provided Voldemort hadn't yet found him? Would he have ever found friends and a surrogate family to match what he has today? And who could ever replace Ginny? Life without her? Surely unthinkable, unbearable.  
Hermione removed her arms and stepped back, looking at Harry's glistening, green eyes, trying to see behind them and sort out what was most certainly an incredible wrestling match of thoughts and processes. Harry had, in all truth, been through more than almost anyone could imagine over the course of the past seven years.  
As much as Hermione wanted to feel like she had shared equally in all of their past, she knew Harry had endured far more than she could fathom or even imagine. His life was tragic, almost from day one. His glimpses at true happiness were short and sporadic, at best. And to top it all off, he had lived for most of eighteen years with a demonic piece of Voldemort stuck in his head, torturing his mind. How are you going to match that?  
For all practical purposes, Harry never got to know his parents. He was just taking his first steps, learning his first words when Voldemort destroyed his world. Aside from a few precious pictures, all he will ever know of his parents are accounts from their friends and people at the school. He will never get to remember his mother's nurturing breast, warm embrace or the dazzling green eyes everyone sees when they look at him. The same will be true for his father who loved to play endlessly with him, whose face was always beaming with pride and joy while holding him in his arms. He could see it in his scant, few pictures, but all of this was stolen from him.  
Hermione suddenly fell back against the stairway wall as an overwhelming wave of emotion ran through her. She loved her parents and their life. She got to grow up with their shared love…that is until a little over a year ago. That is when she stole herself, and all memories of herself, from them with the twist of her wand and a flash of a memory charm. That is when she stole them from herself, making herself a veritable orphan. They were gone. Just as gone as Harry's parents. A sick feeling filled her stomach. She knew they were somewhere in Australia, but she didn't know where. As her knees weakened with the intense sorrow washing over her, she knew she could not rest until she had found them and figured out how to restore their memories. Her blossoming affair with Ron would have to wait. It felt like her heart would split as she grappled with the realization.  
Shaking her head to regain her composure, she looked at Harry, who was still locked in deep thought. Who could imagine the multitude of things running through his mind as he considered her question? Was it even possible to sort it all out in a way to articulate a rational answer? Why did she even ask it? Was it because she needed help finding her own answer?  
Other things that had occurred over their years at Hogwarts started to enter her mind as she tried to distract herself from too much thinking about her family before she broke down into a blubbering mass. So much was welled up inside her that if she was to give way and release even the tiniest part of it, the entire dam would burst. She knew it would come. It was inevitable, like the tide or the changing of the seasons. But now was not the time. She could not release it now.  
She thought about Sirius, Harry's godfather, himself almost without a family. He had only his cousins Tonks, Bellatrix LeStrange, and Narcissa (Black) and Draco Malfoy left of his once powerful family of purebloods. Only Tonks, who would die along with Remus a couple years after him, gave him a connection to his greater family. Harry had seen him die in the battle at the Department of Mysteries. How did he endure that? Who could blame him for the way he raged after Bellatrix? She had orphaned him yet a second time.  
Then there is Dumbledore, the greatest mystery one could imagine outside of Voldemort. How did he know half of the things he knew? So many times he seemed to magically, even for a wizard, pull things out of the air, figure things out. What did he know and when did he know it? When did he determine Voldemort had made horcruxes? When did he realize Harry was a Horcrux? While he had basically raised Harry to be killed by Voldemort, he made it possible for Harry to defeat Voldemort by sacrificing himself that night atop this very tower. How much conflict remained in Harry over his relationship with a man who was the closest thing he had to a parent? How much of Dumbledore would never truly be exposed and explained?  
And finally, there was Snape to consider. They had all despised, even hated Snape long before he killed Dumbledore. He had ridiculed them, tormented them, made life at Hogwarts miserable much of the time. And then, in the end, they discover he might have been the greatest good guy of all time. "Ohmygod!" Hermione exhaled in a hushed, barely audible tone. A powerful wave of emotional electricity hit her so hard she involuntarily pressed her hands against her breast.  
What if Harry had really died? What they took as the mean-spirited bitterness of an unhappy, wicked man was often protection and preparation for them to eventually confront the evils of a Voldemort. He was protecting Harry, and everyone, all along, fighting the jinx on Harry's broom, stopping Quirrel from getting past Fluffy, pushing Harry to strengthen his mind against Voldemort's intrusions. He showed Harry the location of the sword in the pond while leading Ron back to them at the same time, villainized himself by killing the already mortally cursed Dumbledore. He protected the student body from the Carrow's as much as possible. It was only when Harry saw his memories in the pensieve that the truth of his covert heroism could come out. Only then could Harry understand that Snape had saved his life on the hillside by Hagrid's, not attacked him. It was then he could realize why Snape was so easily beaten and made to flee when confronted by him, the Order and Professor McGonagall. If Harry had actually died in the dark forest that night, all of that knowledge would have died with him, leaving Snape to be forever remembered as the vile, loathsome evildoer who killed Dumbledore and opened Hogwarts to the minions of Voldemort. He could have been blamed for Voldemort's rise and the fall of the peaceful wizarding world.  
Hermione's breathing had quickened and was hard enough to noticeably cause her breast to rise and fall. Her temples were pounding. Once again, she shook her head, trying to regain her calm as this second surge of highly charged emotion threatened to engulf her.  
Just as Hermione finally started feeling like she had regained some semblance of control over her senses Harry gave a small shake of his head, returning to the present world. He looked over at her and smiled. "Yes," he said. "Yes, I would."  
Hermione, who up until that moment could not have answered that question, smiled back and said with the sigh of a person who had just been relieved of some sort of huge weight that had been pressing down on them for some time, "Me too, Harry. Me too." she said, "But first I need to find my parents."


	3. Now Where

Hermione grasped Harry in one of her best friend hugs, holding tight for a bit longer than usual. Stepping back, the pair restarted their descent of the stairs. "I don't remember you ever telling me about what happened to you and your parents before we left," said Harry in a voice asking for information. If you did I have forgotten.  
"No," responded Hermione, "No, I am not sure I did. I don't think you ever told me about your final parting with your aunt and uncle, and that wretch of a cousin either."  
"I suppose you have heard more than enough about my life at the Dursley's home," said Harry. "I can't recall too many happy moments there. Still, they were the only family I had left in the world. Even though I was glad to be out of there when I left, I still couldn't just leave them after all, they had fed and housed me.  
When thing started to get really bad I sat down and had the first real conversation of my life with Uncle Vernon. I explained to him as best I could what was happening. I told him they were in real danger, and that they needed to go into hiding for their own safety. If Voldemort found them, well you can just imagine the lengths he would go to in order to get them to tell him everything they knew about me and my whereabouts. In the end, I think he understood most of it and that I was really trying to do my best to protect them. It was hard for him, but he agreed to let the ministry put them into protective hiding."  
"That must have been really hard for both of you," replied Hermione, the wooden heels of her shoes clacking with each footfall. "The idea of building any level of trust with your uncle, let alone the amount necessary for him to move his family out of their home is amazing. You might make a fair minister of magic."  
"Shut up," said Harry, giving her a poke. "All of a sudden you've developed a sense of humor. You are definitely spending too much time with Ron."  
"You shut up," she retorted, returning his poke with a swat on the shoulder. "I've always had a sense of humor. You boys are just TOO dim to appreciate it."  
They both looked at each other and laughed for much longer than one might expect. They needed to laugh. There had not been enough things to laugh at for a long time. It was high time to change that situation.  
"Okay, okay," said Harry, taking in a deep breath and recovering his composure. "Anyway, when my aunt and uncle and Dudley were all loaded up and ready to leave with the folks from the ministry, there was a moment when I sensed something different. It was like my aunt was actually feeling some emotion at our parting. It was like she was feeling a bit sad. And Dudley came up and spoke to me. He shook my hand and thanked me for saving his life when we were attacked by the dementors. Now that this is over, I am almost tempted to wonder if there is a chance for all of us to have a new relationship."  
"That would be awesome, Harry," Hermione smiled, her shoes still clacking down the stairs. "I think it would be great for all of you."  
"So, didn't this conversation start out with you going to tell me about your parents?" inquired Harry. "I think we got sidetracked."  
"Yes, I believe it did," recalled Hermione, rolling her eyes upward.  
"Well," queried Harry. "How are they? Are they okay? I do not remember you talking about them all the time we were gone."  
This was it. There was no more holding back. Hermione's eyes filled with tears. Her lips quivered as she tried to speak. Suddenly, she fell forward, sobbing, into Harry's arms. She was almost completely limp. He struggled but managed to sit the two of them down before he lost control and took both of them tumbling down the remaining stairs.  
"I've lost them," she blurted out, Harry's shoulder quickly becoming quite wet with her tears. "I-I-I-I think I m-m-may lost them f-f-forever."  
"What?" said Harry, holding her tight, like he had done a lifetime ago below the Gryffindor common room after Lavender had thrown herself into Ron's arms and started kissing him. Only this was far more intense. He had never seen anyone so distraught since the death of Cedric Diggory. The Weasley's had in some ways managed to contain their sorrow after Fred had died days earlier. They were all there for each other, whereas Amos Diggory was all alone in his pain, clutching the lifeless body of his son in front of hundreds of stunned students and staff.  
Harry continued to clutch her. It was all he knew how to do. She cried convulsively for several minutes. He never knew Hermione possessed the capacity for such an emotional breakdown. Finally, she started to come down and regain control. Her breathing was still ragged, and she was clearly exhausted, but calm was coming. He loosened his embrace, hoping she would take the lead on when to sit back and talk.  
A few moments later she whispered, "I'm okay, now. Thank you. I guess I kind of lost it."  
"It's fine. I understand," said Harry, trying to reassure her of the depth of their friendship. "You know we are always there for each other, you, me, Ron, Ginny, the rest of our friends. We are a family. A family that has been tested by fire."  
"I know," she sniffled, "It's just so overwhelming. We have been through so much. We have lost so many friends. So many families have been shattered. Freddie's dead. And Remus and Tonks. Who will raise Teddy? Do you think George can run the store alone? Who's going to be the new headmaster? How about…"  
"…Whoa! Whoa! Whoa, Hermione! Back up the candy trolley," said Harry, stopping her before she got completely out of control, and possibly had another overflow of pent-up emotions. 'Things are going to get taken care of. I heard Teddy's grandmother is going to care for him. He was already with her before the battle. I'll help as I can. Remus made me his godfather, you know. George will be fine. I don't know about the new headmaster, but I hope it is Professor McGonagall."  
"But there is still so much more to be done. Look at our school. It's a disaster. It will take forever to repair it. And the ministry, who will rebuild the ministry? Our whole world is still in shambles. I…"  
"…Relax," said Harry, interrupting her a second time. "It will get done. We can't do it all overnight, but it will get done. There are lots of good people out there who will help. People we don't even know. They are going to step up and the sun is going to shine brighter than ever. We just need to have faith in the good people. We have defeated evil. It is time for the good to rise."  
Looking around, the school was a disaster. It looked like the remnants of cities from muggle World War II in their muggles study textbooks. It was not hard to remember it as it was not all that long ago.  
"I like your optimism, Harry," said Hermione, a bit of a smile cracking on her tear-stained face. "You make me want to believe it."  
"I do believe it," asserted Harry. "and so should you."  
"Yes, yes," agreed Hermione, putting her hand on Harry's. "I do need to think more positively."  
"Now, said Harry, standing up and helping Hermione to her feet. "You still haven't told me about your parents. Do you feel up to talking about them?"  
"Yes," said Hermione with a hushed tremor in her voice. "I think I will feel better if I talk about them."  
By now they had reached the bottom of the long, spiral of stairs and walked out into the courtyard at the base of the tower. There was debris of all types strewn around. Most of the clean-up efforts were focused on getting the insides back into a usable state. The outside would have to wait. They sat down on a large, broken block that had fallen from somewhere high up on the wall. There was a massive, forked pole that had once belonged to one of the giants lying next to a huge bell from the school bell tower.  
"I didn't know," said Hermione, squinting as her eyes, still swollen from crying, tried to adjust to being out in the sunlight. The breeze lifted her hair and playfully tossed it around. "I didn't know."  
"Didn't know what?" inquired Harry, also struggling with the sunlight.  
"I didn't know the Ministry would take care of them. When you said the Ministry took your uncle's family to a safe place…well, I didn't know," tears started to well up in her eyes.  
"So, what happened to them?" asked Harry, moving closer and putting an arm around her shoulder. "Are they okay?"  
"I don't know," she sniffled, the first tears of another cry starting to trickle down her cheeks. "When I knew we had to leave. When I knew it was too dangerous to stay. Well, I was scared. I didn't know what to do. I was scared for us and them. I knew what Voldemort might do if he found them. I had to protect them. I couldn't think straight."  
"So, what did you do? Where are they?" asked Harry, sensing the guilt she was feeling and that he might not like the answer.  
"I hexed them with a memory charm. I stole their identities and memory of me. They don't know who they are and have no remembrance of ever having a daughter. I gave them the name of Wilkins. I suggested they move to Australia. I thought they might like it there, but they could have," Hermione's tears began to flow more freely as Harry pulled her closer, "they could have gone anywhere. I don't know how to find them, and even if I do, I don't know whether or not I can break the spell. I miss them so much."  
Hermione was crying almost as hard as she had earlier. Harry had both arms around her, rocking her as he held her tight. Where was Ron? He needed Ron to help comfort her. It would only be right.  
"I know, I know, said Harry in his most soothing voice. "I understand your pain. And I know we can fix it."  
'How can we fix it?" blubbered Hermione. "My parents are gone. I don't want them gone."  
"We know people," he said, trying to be consoling and reassuring. "And we know people who know people. We just beat Voldemort. We can do this. I mean I know a girl who, well she's the smartest person I know. If she puts her mind to something, well she…"  
"…Who are you talking about?" interrupted Hermione, wiping away her tears. Once again Harry and she had large wet spots on their clothes. But his words seemed to have once again broken through her sorrow.  
"I think you know the answer," said Harry, looking her square in the eyes. "I think you know."  
"I…" paused Hermione, a classic, little Granger grin starting to break through her sorrow. "I think you sometimes put too much faith in her."  
"No," replied Harry. "I don't think you put enough faith in her. She is the smartest, most resourceful person I have ever met. I think she can do anything she sets her mind to."  
"Really?" Hermione said with some of the sadness disappearing from her voice. "You really believe that?  
"Yes, yes I do," was the reply.  
"Okay, then we need to have a plan to figure this out."  
"Now you are talking like Hermione Granger," said Harry, standing up and helping her to her feet. "Then we need to find Ron. Where is Ron, anyway?"


	4. A New Quest Dawns

"Ron went home to The Burrows with his family yesterday. The memorial service for Fred took its toll on them. They wanted a little personal time as a family," said Hermione as the two of them made their way inside and headed off toward the dining hall.  
"Then we shouldn't really bother them now, I suppose," observed Harry. "What should we do?"  
"I think we should wait until tomorrow," came Hermione's answer. "Maybe I should send an owl telling them our intentions. They could always reply and ask us not to come if they need more time. I suppose that is for the best."  
"Yes," agreed Harry. We can send an owl after we eat. Tell them to expect us around what, lunchtime?  
Yes, after lunch sounds good," concurred Hermione, "we should wait until after lunch."  
One of the first things to get back up and running at Hogwarts was the dining hall. It was still a fair bit of a mess with most of the remaining destruction pushed against the broken walls. But meals were being served to those still at the school. Overhead a few ragged Slytherin banner still hung amidst the candles lighting the room. The holes in the walls were being repaired one by one.  
The elves, for their part, still managed to feed the remaining students and staff an above average meal. Never underestimate the elves of Hogwarts. Their participation in defending the school during the Battle of Hogwarts caused a lot of opinions to change both on the wizard and witch side, and on the elf side. That single action might have accomplished more than S.P.E.W. ever came close to during its days.  
The dinner appeared on the tables just as they took a seat at the Gryffindor tables. Only a dozen or so other Gryffindor students were at the tables with them. Almost all of the school had gone home since classes were not going to resume for quite some time. Professors McGonagall, Sprout, Slughorn, Flitwick, Trelawney and Hagrid sat at the dining hall's head table. The Slytherin tables were completely empty.  
They dined quietly. Both of them needed a break from talking. They listened to the sparse chatting of the others, none of which was of much consequence. Mostly just talk about why they were still here or when they were leaving for home.  
Harry was still here because he really didn't have anywhere else to go. He could go to 12 Grimmauld Place and hang out with the less than friendly Kreacher, but that would be too depressing. The school was his best option.  
Hermione was even more homeless. Her parent's home had been sold when they departed for parts yet unknown. She had nowhere else to go outside of the school. This certainly intensified her feelings of grief.  
The pair finished a tasty serving of fruity trifle and got up to head off to the owlery, which was in better condition than most of the castle. Who knows why it was spared the level of damage that ravaged most of the school?  
"I'm sad, of course," started Harry as they made their way outside, "but I kind of envy Ron and his family a bit."  
"What? Why's that, Harry?" asked Hermione, curiosity in her tone. "What is it that is enviable? They have suffered a lot. Ron almost got killed like a dozen times since we met him. Remember him freaking out in the Devil's Snare pit?"  
Harry could not help but laugh a bit remembering that incident. It wasn't funny at the time, but now it was pretty funny.  
"And Ginny, your uh…..girlfriend," she continued with a smirky tone hinting at the coming poke. "You do remember her, don't you?"  
"Yes, I think I recall her," said Harry with a chuckle.  
"Well, she almost died in the Chamber of Secrets"  
"Along with me, Ron and probably Lockhart."  
"Yes, but it was her. And then George got half his head nearly blown off by that curse posing as you that night."  
"It was his ear, not half his head."  
"Oh, just his ear," said Hermione pulling out her wand. "Let me pop off one of your ears and we'll see how you like it.  
Harry grabbed her wrist and looked at her not able to suppress a laugh. "Okay, smarty pants, point made, I get it."  
Oh, do you?" she giggled.  
"Then what about Fred," she said, suddenly sucking the humor back out of the moment. "Freddie's dead."  
"Yeah." said Harry in a downcast voice.  
Hermione paused, then said, "Then there's Mr. Weasley. Along with putting up with all his troubles at work, caused by us on more than a couple occasions, he nearly got killed by Voldemort that night in the Prophesy Room. He was lucky Voldemort got into your mind that night and they managed to save him. He has been pretty good to both of us over the years, like a great uncle, and not the old kind. And oh ya, there's Percy. How could they feel about having him as a ministry stooge all of that time? I am so glad he finally came to his senses. And let's not forget Charlie and Bill. Charlie is way off in Romania and Bill nearly got his head taken off by Fenir Greyback.  
Harry was shaking his head in agreement, "He still got to marry Fleur, though."  
Hermione gave him the really eyeballs, then continued on. "And Molly! Can you imagine what had to be going on in her head all along? She had to endure these almost constant attacks on her family, and still make the dinners, clean the house and patch everyone up. She had to be an emotional wreck most of the time. Bellatrix was crazier than normal to take her on. I can only imagine all of the pent-up fire coming out of her when she got between Bellatrix, Ginny, Luna and me after Bellatrix fired a killing curse at Ginny. She might have been able to take out Voldemort at that moment."  
"I know all of this," he replied as they started up the stairs to the owlery, "but they always had each other through it all. They always pulled together, like now, and faced it as a family. We have always been alone, he said, forgetting what he had said earlier."  
"No, you're wrong," admonished Hermione, putting her arm on Harry's shoulder. "We're not alone. You can't think that way. Remember what you told me a while ago. We have each other. We are a big family. All of us. You, me, Ron, Ginny, all of the Weasleys and the rest of the order, and Neville, and all of Gryffindor, Dumbledore's Army, and I can go on."  
"You're right. I have to remember that. Practice what I preach and all. Sometimes I feel all alone." Harry admitted. "I have to remember all of my family."  
They finished their climb and selected an owl to deliver their message. Hermione wrote, "Harry and I will use the floo network to come TO your home tomorrow after lunch. Love and miss you, Hermione".  
Harry attached it to the leg of the owl and sent it off. It made a fast beeline in the correct direction. Unlike picking the Weasley's Aero, if it had been there, he seemed to have selected an excellent messenger. Then, as Hermione was walking out the door, he slipped a second note onto another owl and released it. Ron. Be prepared for a major crisis. Details tomorrow. Don't say anything. Harry. He felt confident the messages would soon arrive.  
Descending the stairs, they headed back to the Gryffindor dormitories to busy themselves until bed. The stress of their talks had worn them both out. Hermione sat down with a book large enough to keep anyone but her busy for days. Harry sat around with a couple of other guys talking about quidditch and hoping they would be able to rebuild the pitch and play again.  
The Weasley home was predictably low key and staid. Molly was busying herself baking cakes and cookies, anything to occupy her mind. Arthur was puttering in his workshop doing much of the same. Ginny was upstairs, assumedly cleaning her room while Ron was playing chess with George and Bill, Fleur and Percy were idly chatting.  
The sound of an owl abruptly broke the mood as the feathered messenger burst through an open kitchen window and landed atop a lump of Molly's fresh cookie dough. Molly pulled off the message and shooed it away from the table before something fowl happened.  
"Arthur" she called out as she read the note.  
"Yes, dear," came a reply. "What is it?"  
"There's a note here from Hermione. It says that she and Harry are going to come here tomorrow afternoon through the floo network."  
"Good, that's good," he replied. "Maybe they can cheer things up a bit. Things could do with a bit of cheering up around here."  
A moment later the second owl delivered Harry's note to Ron. Ron read it and said, that was from Harry, He was just saying the same thing."


	5. From the Beginning

The next morning the Weasley's had a delicious breakfast with way more than the normal amount of food and choices. Molly, Fleur and Ginny had outdone themselves. Even the Hogwarts kitchen elves would have been impressed by the spread. They ate until they were ready to burst. Everyone nearly fell out of their chairs when Molly excused herself from the table because they were going to have guests and she should start preparing some treats since they would not be here until after lunch and it would be rude to not have something to offer them. The last thing on their minds was more food. But Fleur got up, then Ginny, and offered to help.  
Harry and Hermione had agreed to meet at lunch. "Are you ready to go?" asked Harry, already certain of the answer as he sat down.  
"Yes, I have everything packed," she said, sitting her infamous bag on the table. "I think I have everything we'll need. Got it ready last night."  
She picked up the bag and there was a sound of stuff toppling inside. "That would be the books," she said with a sheepish grin.  
"It's always the books," laughed Harry, remembering other times she had said that in the past.  
"Oh shut up, Harry," she shot back, not able to reach him for a good swat. She could not remember how many times she had said that to him over the years. It caused her to involuntarily chuckle.  
The pair finished their lunch and headed toward the large, unlit fireplace at the head of the room. It was not uncommon for people to use it for travel through the floo network, as it was one of the larger, more accommodating fireplaces.  
Hermione stepped in first, clasping a good handful of floo powder. Throwing it down, she said "The Burrows" and disappeared in a flash of green fire. Harry stepped in behind her, repeating the process with emphasis on clear pronunciation. He didn't want a repeat of the time he found himself at Borgin & Burke's in Knockturn Alley.  
Hermione appeared in the Weasley's fireplace seconds later. Ron greeted her with a family-friendly hug and peck, then looked around to see the reactions of the others. Ginny smiled while George looked ready to let loose a quip. However, Harry appeared and interrupted the moment. Ron stepped away from Hermione and gave Harry a big, best buddy embrace as the rest continued to welcome Hermione. They eventually moved to welcoming Harry and everyone was happy to be reunited.  
The family had skipped lunch after their enormous breakfast, so when Molly announced snacks, everyone was ready to have some. Molly offered them all some apple or Banoffee pie. Ginny had cookies and brownies. Fleur had made a variety of crepes and Tulipes that she learned to make at Beauxbatons. It was a sinful break that found everyone remarkably quiet as plates, forks and spoons clinked and clacked in the background. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny eventually excused themselves and took their leave up to Ron's room, after they had partaken in a thorough sampling of the treats.  
They sat down in the room, Ginny and Harry on the floor closest to the door. They had an arm around each other's waist. The hands of their free arms rested on Harry's leg, hers holding his. Ron and Hermione sat on his bed in a similar pose.  
"Has Hermione ever talked to you about her parents?" Harry asked Ron.  
"Yeah, they're dentists. They fix people's teeth," he replied. Sounds a bit, strange, you know, putting their hands in other people's mouths.  
"No, that's not what I mean," Harry responded back to him. "I mean do you know where they are?"  
"No, not really. We never really talked about that. Where are they, Mione?"  
"I d-don't know," Hermione said with a catch her voice. Harry could see the emotion starting to well up in her expression. Ginny must have sensed it as well. Her hand squeezed Harry's much tighter.  
Even Ron, who is not known the be Mr. Sensitive, picked up immediately on something being wrong. "What's wrong, Mione?" he queried. "What do you mean you don't know?"  
Tears started to flow down Hermione's cheeks. Ginny instantly got up and moved to her side.  
"She doesn't know where her parents are, Ron," said Harry, knowing she was not going to be able to talk about it for a while. "You remember when we left to go hunting for the horcruxes?"  
"Yeah, I remember. You told me the people from the Ministry came and got your uncle and his family. My dad told me they took them to a safe house guarded by them. Then you came here. So did Hermione. We were preparing for the wedding."  
"Right," said Harry. "We were preparing for the wedding, but I knew I could never go back to Little Whinging, and Hermione knew the same, she could not go back to her home. I don't think I even know where it is."  
"Right, I get it" said Ron. "But she can go back now. Or did they, what? Did they move and not tell her where they went?"  
Harry and Ginny both looked at him like he was exceptionally dim this afternoon. Hermione continued to cry, her body lurch against his embrace.  
"I think it is more than that, Ron," said Ginny.  
"Yes," said Harry. "It is more. She didn't know the Ministry would protect them. I thought you would have told her…"  
"…Well, uh, I uh didn't…" stuttered Ron  
"...It doesn't matter," Harry continued, cutting him off. "She didn't know what to do. So, she did the only thing she could think of."  
"What was that?" asked Ron. You could see Ginny tense up, knowing she was not going to like the answer.  
"She used a memory charm," Harry more or less blurted out.  
"She what!" exclaimed Ron. Ginny's face registered the shock of hearing something even worse than imagined.  
"She used a memory charm," he repeated. She gave them new names and suggested they might want to move to Australia. But in reality, she doesn't know who they are and where they went. She was scared for them and us."  
"Bloody hell, I…" Ron stopped himself and turned, pulling her close and putting his head on her shoulder. "Mione. I had no idea. Oh, my…"  
Ginny looked at Harry, the horror of what she had just heard still on her face. "What can we do?"  
"That is why we're here. That is what we're wondering."  
"I think we need to talk to my dad," said Ginny. "Dad will know what to do."  
"Yes," said Hermione, speaking her first words since she started crying. "Let's talk to your dad. I trust his judgment."  
"Yes, dad will have some ideas," said Ron helping Hermione to her feet.  
Ginny moved back over to Harry. Hermione started to straighten her hair and wipe her face. Ron picked up a towel and reached out, wiping the visible tear stains"  
"You're smearing her make up," scolded Ginny.  
"Bl…here, you do it then," he said, throwing the towel to Ginny.  
Ginny just laughed at him, stepping up to help Hermione look more presentable.  
Harry and Ron looked at each other. "Girls," Ron spouted out. "How do you figure them, Harry?"  
Harry just shrugged and laughed, causing Ron to start laughing. The girls both looked and them and returned their shrug. "What do we ever see in them?" said Ginny in a sarcastic tone.  
"Well, they are fascinating to watch," said Hermione regaining a bit of composure. "It is sort of like having your own zoo, only you can get them to lift stuff on occasion."  
"Real funny, Hermione," sneered Ron.  
"Yeah," continued Ginny. "It makes them feel manly and important."  
Harry just looked at her as if to say "Really, you too."  
Ginny finished helping Hermione. They started downstairs. "Mom," called out Ginny."  
"What is it, dear?"  
"Where's dad?  
"He is back out playing about in his workshop."  
The group walked out past the rest of the family and out toward Arthur's workshop. They found him inside toying with a windup toy firetruck.  
"Dad," said Ginny.  
"Yes, what is it, kids?" he said, sitting the truck down on the table.  
"We need to talk to you about something important," stated Ron.  
"Well, what is it?" he inquired.  
"It's really important," restated Ron. "I think we need to sit down."  
"Okay then," said Arthur, walking toward the door. "Let's go inside."  
The living room of the house was full of family, so they went into the kitchen and gathered around the table.  
"Now, what is it we need to talk about, kids?" asked Arthur, a definite sense of curiosity in his voice.


	6. Searching for Go

"It's Hermione. Hermione has a problem," said Ron, looking at his dad.  
That's an understatement," injected Ginny, her Dad moving his head back and forth, trying to look at both of them as well as Hermione,  
"Okay, a big," said Ron, looking at Ginny and still seeing disapproval. "Uhhhh, huge problem."  
"Well then, what is this huge problem?" inquired Arthur, still not realizing the gravity of what he was about to hear.  
"Hermione's parents, well, uh…they…" Ron started.  
"I can explain it," said Hermione, a quiver in her voice. "I can do it."  
"What is it, Hermione?" asked Arthur, starting to sense this was going to be more serious than he was first imagining.  
"Do you remember when we disappeared last year?" she started as Ron grasped her hand under the table and held it tight.  
"Well yes. Yes, I do," he replied. "That was all very traumatic. Molly was inconsolable for weeks.  
"I'm sorry," said Hermione in a weak voice. "We were scared. Scared for us. Scared for you. Scared for everyone. We were worried the deatheaters would either find us or you and put everyone else in danger if we all knew each other's locations."  
"I see," said Arthur. "But it was still very trying. If you could only have gotten out a message saying you were okay without telling us where you were hiding."  
"Actually, we were hunting horcruxes," noted Ron, not that it mattered.  
Hermione cleared her throat, and everyone turned their attention back to her. "My parents are muggles. I grew up without any knowledge of the magical world like Ron. And Harry always had Dumbledore and then Sirius watching and guiding him."  
Arthur looked at her, wondering where this was heading. "I'm sorry, Hermione. I guess we never gave that proper consideration. We should have been better guides. We were too preoccupied with Dumbledore's request to watch over Harry. We kind of forgot your situation. How can we help you, now?"  
"Well," continued Hermione, "When Harry, Ron and I decided we needed to take off to safer places and to hunt horcruxes I didn't know what was available to protect my parents. Harry contacted the Order, so I found out later. They moved his uncle's family to a safe place where they could protect them. Ron knew you all had each other and the order. I didn't know anything," she said, trying to keep her emotions in check. "When I was ready to leave, I knew I had to do something. I did the only thing I could think of. I used a memory charm to wipe out their memories of me and to send them away."  
"Merlin's beard!" exclaimed Arthur, trying to muffle his surprise. "You didn't."  
"Yes, I did," she choked. "I gave them new names and pointed them toward Australia. I have no idea if they made it. I don't know where I can find them."  
"Molly!" called Arthur with an urgency in his voice.  
"Yes, dear. What is it"  
"Can you come here? We have a fair bit of a crisis."  
Molly hurried into the room and put her hands on Ginny's shoulders. "What is it, Arthur? What's wrong?"  
Arthur repeated the situation to her. Her face was pale with shock.  
"Well, we've got to find them. We've got to get help," said Molly, sounding panicky. She moved from Ginny to Hermione and put her arms around her. "We're going to deal with this, dear."  
"Yes," said Arthur. "We are going to launch a search immediately. You know I haven't been at the Ministry for a while. I think it is time for me to go back. There are still some good people left there. I want to ask for all of the help I can muster."  
"I agree, dear," said Molly. "It is time for you to return there. Someone there has to have some ideas."  
"Then I will go in tomorrow morning," said Arthur, relieved Molly agreed with him returning to work. Her fears and anxiety were keys to his extended absence. "I actually think it will feel quite good."  
"We're going to solve this, Hermione," said Molly, hugging her.  
"Is there any other information I can use, Hermione? asked Arthur. "When I talk to the folks at the Ministry, I want to tell them everything we know. The more we have, the better our chances."  
"Not really," she replied, a hint of helplessness still in her voice. "When I cast the spell, I told them their names were Wendell and Monica Wilkins and they wanted to move to Australia. That is everything. You already know they are dentists. You know, they attend to people's teeth."  
"Got it. You must explain dentists more someday. That sounds like a very fascinating profession. Nothing like it in the wizarding world. But for now, I should prepare myself for my return to work."  
Arthur left for work bright and early the next morning. Everyone spent their day trying to distract their minds from recent times. The war, Fred, all of their other deceased friends and classmates, and the latest situation with Hermione's parents. Their minds all needed some free time.  
Molly finished setting the table when Arthur walked in from work. Everyone sat down, looking at him. There was only one thing consuming the minds.  
"Well, I know you all want to know about my day and what I learned," said Arthur. "I may as well be out with it now before we eat."  
Hermione looked particularly anxious as he began. Ron sat tight against her and kept a firm grip on her hand.  
"Australia is a long way away," said Arthur, stating the obvious. "Getting there will be devilishly tricky, and it does not have much of a wizarding community once you get there. It is estimated that only a few hundred witches and wizard live on the entire continent. That means support will be thin, but a few people at the Ministry know of a few folks who will probably be willing to help. We'll have to wait until we get there to know the level of help they can provide.  
Now we can't apparate to get there. It is way too far, and since you can only apparate to a spot you know, we are pretty well sunk on that kind of travel. It is also way too far for brooms and thestrals and the like, so consider that out. Unless we wish to submit to muggle travels, portkeys are our only real choice. We have a portkey that can get us to Charlie in Romania. Charlie told me the dragon school there has portkeys that can get us to all eleven wizarding schools. I am thinking if we can get to Mahoutokoro in Japan, then we might be able to find someone who can get us to Australia."  
"Then let's go," said Ron. "We can be ready by morning."  
"It is not that easy," said Arthur, retaking the conversation. "Contacts have to be made. We can't just pop in unannounced. I arranged an owl to Charlie detailing things. We'll have to wait until we hear back. And there is still a bit more, and it may not come easy. I talked to some people in the medical department about memory charms. They said, and you may not like it, that they can be devilishly tricky and not always predictable, especially with muggles. You can throw the same memory charm at ten different people and get ten different results. We have to hope Hermione's spell hit accurately and the results went as cast. But even if they did and we find them, there is still the issue of breaking the spell. That is the toughest part of all. Lockhart's charms have proven most unbreakable, to which he apparently owes his success. I doubt Hermione's packed his wallop. At least we have to hope that is the case. If Hermione's charm was cast accurately, but with less conviction or skill, then they think the prospects are fair."  
"So," asked Harry, "all we can do for now is wait for a return owl?"  
"I am afraid so."  
"Well, good then," said Harry, clapping his hands and standing up. "At least we have something moving. Let's get our traveling gear ready. We could be embarking on another long adventure."


	7. The Night Before

A week and a half had passed since the owl left for Romania. The day seemed to pass like the final minutes on the clock at the end of a school day. Ron and Hermione had taken to going on long walks. Today they walked to the farthest end of the wetland adjoining the Weasley property. They found themselves sitting on a log looking out over the bog's central pond. A pair of ducks paddled about, looking for snails, crabs, whatever they could find to eat. Meanwhile, a large wading bird stood deathly still in the water across from them, waiting for an unwary fish to swim by and provide it a meal while Ron and Hermione chatted about anything and nothing in an effort to pass the day. Finally, Ron leaned over and kissed Hermione.  
Hermione responded by leaning forward and turning Ron's fairly timid kiss into a romantic embrace. They kissed and hugged for several minutes, neither trying to steal the next base. Aside from the fact that it was the wrong time to escalate their relationship, Ron was still a bit inept despite his affair with Lavender. Hermione, for her part, was not quite ready for the next step.  
Harry and Ginny were engaged in similar behavior. They had walked out into a wooded area away from The Burrow. After several minutes of passionate snogging, Ginny, always the most action-oriented, live in the moment member of the quartet, pulled Harry's hand into the first base position. Even though her breast was heavily guarded by a bra, turtleneck and a Molly-made jumper, it was a significant leap forward for both of them. Harry caressed her for several moments before stopping. Both of them were flushed and breathing hard.  
"We had better head back," said Harry cautiously  
"Yes," agreed Ginny. "I suppose we should."  
The four of them found themselves back inside just as Molly was finishing up preparation for a late lunch. They all said down and dined, their talk centered around who might be the new Minister of Magic, who might become headmaster at Hogwarts, and all of the work that would be needed to repair both institutions. Molly said she favored Kingsley Shacklebolt as the new minister. Arthur also thought that was a good idea, Harry asked who might take over talking to the muggle prime minister if Kingsley was moved up. The kids all though Professor McGonagall would make a great headmistress. Molly and Bill felt it unlikely she would get the job. They thought Phineas Flitwick was the favorite to take over the post.  
Just as they were finishing up, Arthur arrived home early from work. He was excited. "Hello Weasleys", he said in his normal, boisterous manner. "I have some news."  
"Well, what is it, dear?" asked Molly  
"Charlie's owl arrived at the Ministry shortly ago. He said he and the school will help us any way they can. They seemed quite aware of who Hermione is, along with Harry. They are more than willing to help out the heroes from the Battle of Hogwarts."  
Ron looked at his father with a feeling of slight in his expression but was wise enough to stay quiet, which is saying something for Ron.  
"He also heard from Mahoutokoro. Historically, we have not always been on the best of terms with Mahoutokoro, but that seems to be on the mend in recent years. We are fortunate that they are also aware of Voldemort and the war. They said they would be honored to welcome the hero who vanquished Voldemort and would offer all assistance in their power to aid him and his associates in their quest. I think that bodes well, but I would be very mindful to choose my words and actions carefully while there."  
"So, what is our plan? When do we leave?" asked Ron, knowing Hermione wanted to ask but was too polite to just jump into the conversation.  
"I am assuming the three of you will be going," said Arthur, looking at Harry, Ron and Hermione.  
"Absolutely" stated Harry. "We are a team."  
"I'm going, too!" declared Ginny in a demanding voice.  
"Ginny, darling…" started Molly.  
"…Dad!" interrupted Ginny with a flash of fire in her eyes. "I'm…"  
"…Ginny! Molly!" said Arthur. "I think Ginny is old enough to go. After the battle, I think she has proven herself more than capable of handling most situations."  
Ginny stood up as Molly said, "Arthur, I don't know."  
Ginny moved behind her father and started to hug him. "I think she is, dear. What do the three of you think?  
Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other. You could see agreement in the expressions. "We want her to go," declared Harry.  
"Yes, she should go," agreed Ron as Hermione smiled her approval.  
"I think that settles it," said Arthur. "You need to get your things ready."  
Ron and Harry looked at Hermione. "Are we ready, Mione?" asked Ron.  
"Of course, I have had everything ready for days." They all looked at each other and laughed. They would have been shocked if she was not ready.  
"Then we just need to get Ginny packed," said Arthur.  
"Well," said Hermione with a sheepish expression. "I have actually had her stuff ready as well."  
Everyone looked at her. "Oh, shut up, the lot of you," Hermione huffed. The whole room erupted in the best laugh the house had experience in a very long time.  
The decision was made to leave for Romania in the morning using the portkey Arthur kept for trips to see Charlie. It was a long trip taking many hours of flight, so he had made it out of an old couch. That way they could sit in fair comfort over the long hours. It was certainly a step up from the mangy, old boot used to take them to the Quidditch World Championship several years earlier.  
However, tonight was going to be different. It was suddenly cast into the role of being party time. They needed to celebrate and kickoff this quest with a proper send off. Molly, Ginny and Fleur headed to the kitchen to begin preparing treats. Hermione, never known to be much into cooking, joined them, stating it was time she learned a bit about preparing food. The other ladies were pleased.  
Before long, fresh baked cookies and treats were appearing on the tables. It was almost like Christmas Eve in its feeling. Fleur was teaching everyone songs in French. George dug into his stash of Weasley offerings. Arthur opened up a bottle of Mead he had been saving for a special occasion. Everyone was feeling festive, music was playing, their minds suddenly empty of the troubles of the past months. It was like a magic tonic had been shared by all.  
Ginny managed to convince Harry to get up and dance to the Irish music being played on the Weasley's enchanted gramophone. Ron, in a rare moment of initiation, got Hermione up to join them. The two pairs danced as close as possible, not exactly the way you might expect dancers to dance to Celtic music while observing proper parent's house etiquette. All was well until George decided to liven things up a bit by casting a Tarantallegra at Ron. It accidentally hit both Ron and Hermione, causing all havoc to break loose. The two of them started jumping, twitching and kicking about knocking over everything within the reach of their legs. Bill and George were laughing uncontrollably. Fleur was looking disgusted while Arthur stood by watching. Molly started screaming a George, almost saying Fred, as well, which was customary for when something such as this happened.  
After of moment of chaos, Ginny, always first in a crisis, pulled out her wand and used the Finite Incantatem charm to break George's spell. The two of them stopped their frenzy. Everyone looked at them for a moment, then burst out laughing, even Ron and Hermione.  
"Thanks, Ginny," said an appreciative Hermione.  
"Yeah, thanks," echoed Ron. "You're a right foul git," he then said, turning to George and trying to look mad. George just smirked at him, as did Bill.  
The music continued and the dancing resumed while Molly tried to lecture George about acting a little more mature without laughing at what had just happened. Nothing was going to break the mood. It was too long overdue. Its continuation was nothing short of a moral imperative.  
Eventually, as with all good things, Arthur needed to remind them they were leaving in the morning and the hour was getting late. "I think it's time to turn in," he said, removing his favorite pillow from his lap and rising from his favorite chair. "Best we all do, don't you think?"  
Fleur stopped the music and people began shuffling around. The four voyagers followed Arthur up the stairs, heading into the appropriate rooms. Molly said she was going to tidy up a bit before coming up. The rest, having no immediate need to retire, sat down for some quiet chatting.


	8. Up, Up and Away

Morning broke quietly over the surrounding trees. The music of the morning was filling the air. Frogs were the bass, mixed with a few tenors. Crickets, cicada, katydids and grasshoppers played the strings as the birds sang the soprano section.  
The first to arise was Molly. She made her way down the stairs and began stirring about in the kitchen. If they were going to fly to Romania, then they would need a proper send off in their tummies. It would be a long time until their next meal.  
Fleur walked in a few minutes later. "Good morning, Molly," in her French accent. Molly and Ginny had hated the way she talked for the longest of times. But times can change hearts. Seeing the way she took care of Bill and watching her fight with the best of them during the battle had won her the love of Molly and all of the Weasley's. Now, her accent gave Molly a warm feeling. It was like she had gained a second daughter. "Please allow me to help with zee breakfast."  
"Thank you, dear. We must get them fed if they are going to fly off. No one likes to fly on an empty stomach."  
Arthur appeared a few moments later carrying his backpack. "Good morning, ladies," he said.  
Molly turned and saw the backpack in his hands. "Where are you going, dear?" she inquired.  
"I'm going with them to Romania."  
"What!" exclaimed Molly. "We never discussed that."  
"I'm sorry, dear," said Arthur. Just decided to do it. I'm only going to go as far as Romania. I want to talk to Charlie. I'll come back as soon as we see them off to Japan."  
"This is kind of sudden," Molly said with a hint of annoyance. "But don't be too long. And try to be a little more considerate next time. I have enough to worry about without you gallivanting all over the place"  
"Yes, dear," he replied properly chastised.  
Hermione and Ginny were the next to arrive in the kitchen. They were all dressed and ready. From appearances, they probably had been up for a while getting ready. You have got to look your best if you are going to fly across Europe with an open-air portkey.  
Portkeys were not the most pleasant, enjoyable mode of transportation. They had their drawbacks. But, at times, they were the only choice available. Hermione, bless her, had learned a spell to deal with the possible nausea and discombobulation. It was destined to get a great deal of use in the upcoming weeks. It was mostly an endurance thing of staying attached to the portkey for extended times. Fortunately, Mr. Weasley had sorted that out a bit, as they would soon see.  
"Good morning, dears," said Molly. "I'll have you some food in a few minutes. "Sit down. There is juice and fruit on the table."  
"Thanks, mom," said Ginny.  
"Yes, thanks," echoed Hermione. "Where are you going, Mr. Weasley?" she then asked, noticing his clothes and backpack.  
"I'm going with you, kids," he said cheerfully. "I want to see Charlie before you go. I want to be sure everything is on the up and up. Can't have you going into a hornet's nest in Japan, now, can we?"  
Harry showed up just as Molly was serving plates full of scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, biscuits and sausages to Arthur and the girls. He was dressed and ready. "Good morning, Harry," said Molly as he sat down next to Ginny. "I'll have your plate fixed in a second." Fleur smiled at him, sensing the young love in them that still lingered between her and Bill.  
"Where's Ronald?" asked Hermione sounding annoyed. Whenever she said Ronald, it generally meant she was either annoyed or mad at him.  
"He'll be along. Had to use a reviving charm on him," Harry chuckled. "He is up, now." He thanked Molly as she sat down a plate loaded with food in front of him.  
Ron finally showed up, looking a bit disheveled. "Bloody hell, Harry. Why'd you do that?"  
"He only looks half awake, Harry," Ginny snided. 'You better charm him again."  
"C'mon, Ronald, it's almost time to leave," scolded Hermione. He knew by her tone it was best to be quiet and eat the food his mother was handing him.  
Fleur and Molly joined the group. They didn't expect Bill, Percy or George anytime soon. They had been up late talking, and they had nothing pressing on their schedules. Everyone sat, enjoying their last breakfast together for who knows how long. Harry, Ron and Hermione had been gone for over six months. Now, they had only been back a short while, and they are already leaving again for an indeterminable time. It cast a pall of melancholy over the room.  
"Well, family. And that means all of us," said Arthur, slapping the table with both hands. "It's is time to be off."  
"Where are you going, Dad?" asked Ron.  
"With you. I decided to go with you and visit a bit with Charlie," he replied.  
"We're grown up, Dad," said Ginny. "We don't need a chaperone."  
"Just let Daddy go," said Molly, having accepted the fact he was intent on doing so. "He works hard enough. A little fresh mountain air might do him some good. I'd go too if I thought I could trust Percy, George and Bill not to burn down our house while we were gone."  
Everyone chuckled and they all got up to leave. Arthur led them out behind the house where a dilapidated, old sofa was sitting in the middle of the yard. "Okay, kids, climb aboard. Harry and Ginny squeezed together on one end. Ron and Hermione did the same on the other. This left Arthur a generous section in the middle to stretch out.  
"Take care, dears," Said Molly.  
Yes, be careful," said Fleur as Hermione waved her wand over them, extending her comfort spell.  
"Get ready, now," announced Arthur. "3, 2, 1…" There was a whooshing blur as they disappeared.


	9. Into Dracula's Homeland

The sofa sailed through the sky at an unspeakable speed about three thousand feet above the landscape. A variety of charms hid it from sight and detection by muggles. The same charms are used to protect the Hogwarts Express. Another set of charms shield the passengers from the effect of the wind, high altitude temperature and extended exposure to the sunlight. It was all in all a pretty acceptable form of transportation.  
The quintet chatted, napped and there was also a bit of snogging when the napper was Mr. Weasley. "I could get used to this style of travel," said Harry, whose only other portkey experiences were the old boot to the Quidditch World Championships and the TriWizard Champion cup during the tournament. This was actually pretty comfortable.  
The view of the Alps from above was stunning. As they reached the edge of Romania, the Carpathian Mountains hinted at why this was an excellent breeding ground for dragons. The couch started to descend as they came onto the tallest mountains in the country, the Faragas Mountains. Their descent continued into a fog-shrouded valley. Suddenly, there was a roar, a flash of wings. A scaly, green tail shot by just inches in front of them." Bloody hell!" Ron cried out. "That looked like a Romanian Longhorn. Who lets that fly around loose?"  
Seconds later it made another pass, this time so that its glittering, gold horns were visible. An instant later the fog broke, and they found themselves on the ground in the midst of a giant complex containing dozens of pens and buildings housing dragons of all known varieties.  
"Hello folks," came a voice. It was Charlie jogging across the yard. "Welcome to Romania. Draccus signaled your arrival."  
"You have a dragon for a watchdog?" said Ron.  
"Of course," responded Charlie as he hugged his father, followed by hugs from Ron and Ginny. "Come to slay more of my dragons," he said, shaking Harry's hand.  
"No, not this time," said Harry. "We're on a different mission."  
Charlie then took Hermione's hand. "Tell me more about this mission. Dad's note was short on facts. I want to help every way possible."  
"Yes," chimed in Arthur. "Tell him everything, Hermione. I want you to do everything you can to make this successful, son. We are counting on you for a lot."  
Hermione detailed the situation and plan to Charlie. He was very concerned by the end. "I can get you to Japan easily enough. We have a dedicated portkey. I have been there a couple of times. After that, I have no way of helping beyond that point. You are going to need to know a few things before you go. Our relationship with the Japanese has been pretty good in recent times. We want to keep it that way."  
"The Japanese are a very rigid, honor-bound group," continued Charlie, starting to lead the group toward what appeared to be the main building. "They put huge stock in honesty, tradition, chivalry, the whole nine yards. It is imperative that you speak with great care so you do not insult them or give them a reason to mistrust you. They will do everything within their power to help you if they accept you. But, and it is a big but, if you do something to get on their wrong side they can be a bit like goblins. Get on their wrong side and they will not be kind or forgiving. You will want to escape from there before…well, while you still can."  
They entered the building through a giant, wooden door that would have looked at home in Hogwarts. Crossing the large entry room, which was filled with statues, paintings and Medieval looking tapestries, they went down a hallway into an office.  
"Hello Charlie," said a slender, middle-aged man with jet black hair and rugged Eastern European features.  
"This is Neagoe Cantemir," said Charlie. "He is the liaison between us and several other countries, including Japan. These are the people I told you would be coming." Charlie went on introducing them all and explaining why they were there and what they had planned. "I hope you can explain all of the proper protocols to them so as to avoid any unfortunate incidents."  
"Of course, I will," came the reply. "It is in everyone's best interest that things go as smoothly as possible. Let's get a bite to eat, then I will give you a good lesson in visiting Mahoutokoro."  
They readily agreed with getting some food. It had been a long time since breakfast, as big as it was, it had worn off. Neagoe led them to the dining hall where the resident house elves presented them with a delicious looking Romanian meal. They attacked it with great relish.  
The group finished off a hearty meal and rose to leave. "That was really delicious," remarked Hermione. "What was it?"  
"The roasted sausages are called Mititei. They are usually made with beef and pork with a special spice mixture that every cook will guard with their life. I think our elves use a bit of wild game, as well. We are kind of remote here in the mountains. The cabbage rolls are called sarmale. Lots of meat, some rice, peppers, sauerkraut and the like rolled in cabbage leaves. That brandy at the end is a famous, local product called Pálinka. It is made with apricots, pear, cherries, plums. All types of blends. Like the spices for Mititei, makers are fiercely protective of their methods. It has to be served at room temperature to allow the fruits to express themselves. It is good for digestion."  
"Well, it was all very good," remarked Arthur.  
"Yes," agreed Harry.  
"I like that Pálinka" chirped Ginny, "but I feel a little light headed."  
"It must be the altitude," said Neagoe.  
"Definitely," agreed Ron.  
They walked out of the dining area and back to the office of Neagoe. Once reassembled inside, Neagoe said, "The first thing to learn is the bow. You need to know when to bow and how far. It is different for men and women. Japan is a very sexist nation, even in this day and age. So, let's begin…"  
Neagoe ran them through handshakes, how to give and receive things, proper forms of address, sitting, eating, drinking tea, and many more things. They practiced for hours. It was like being back in Hogwarts studying for one of Snape's O.W.L. examinations. They were exhausted by the end, but even Ron felt confident he could handle himself with proper decorum.  
"Yes, I do believe you are prepared to go," said Neagoe. "Now you will need a good night of rest before your next trip. A portkey voyage to Mahoutokoro is going to take almost twenty hours. Take this," said Neagoe, handing Hermione a vial purplish liquid. "It is a sleeping draught that will knock you out for about 16 hours. Drink it as soon as you get comfortable up in the sky. If you don't, then you will suffer boredom, hunger and the embarrassing need to go potty in front of your friends. I suggest drinking it. Once you reawaken, there will be a bundle of snacks and drinks to get you the rest of the way. Don't wait too long before drinking it. You will want a clear head when you arrive."  
"Thank you so much for your time and help," said Hermione, making a proper bow. She held out both hands, presenting Neagoe with a Fine Gryffindor scarf. This is the symbol of our house at Hogwarts. We hope it can provide you warmth and remembrance."  
"That is not necessary," said Neagoe. "I am happy to have the opportunity to help this noble quest."  
"Please," asked Hermione, in a humble manner. "It will make us proud for you to have it as a token of our visit."  
Neagoe accepted the scarf and proper bows were exchanged. "You are going to do excellent, Hermione. You are going to do excellent."  
Charlie and Arthur arrived like they had been hovering nearby, waiting for the perfect time. They had been sharing father-son time since leaving the dinner.  
"Charlie wants to give us a tour of the facility and the dragons before you leave tomorrow. It is a splendid opportunity," said Arthur enthusiastically. "A lot of folks would give up their wand for a chance like this, and you're getting it for free. Are you up for it?"  
Everyone looked to Hermione. This was her quest. No one wanted to interfere with it unless she was okay with it. "Yes," said Hermione. "That would be splendid. We have waited this long. A little longer won't hurt now when it means something like this. Besides, if we don't do it, Ron will be insufferable for months." Everyone laughed heartily while Ron just stood there, knowing better than to say a word.  
"Splendid," said Charlie. "I will see you at breakfast. Then it is off to see the dragons."  
The night was upon them. As excited as Ron was about the dragon tour, it was time for bed. They had to be well rested for their next step.


	10. Charlie and the Dragon Factory

The roar of dragons announcing the sunrise got everyone, even Ron out of bed at a right and proper early hour. No amount of roosters could equal the roar of a dragon, let alone a hundred or so of them.  
By the time Charlie appeared at the door to their cottage, everyone had showered, dressed and gotten ready for what promised to be a huge day. He led them back to the dining hall where they had a breakfast fit for a dragon handler.  
"I can't believe I am getting to see these dragons," gushed Ron.  
"It is exciting," agreed Hermione. "I remember when Harry took on that Horntail during the tournament. I was petrified, and I was clear up in the stands."  
Remember kids," warned Arthur. "these are real dragons. They have trained most of them to various degrees, but not all of them. So, use caution and pay attention to the people handling them. No reason to start your journey by getting toasted." Ron, Hermione and Harry remembered the old goblin who got incinerated by the Ukranian Ironbelly in the Gringott's vaults.  
Charlie, who had left the room a few moments ago, reentered the hall. He was accompanied by a couple of large men dressed like they were ready to go into combat.  
"Is everyone ready," asked Charlie, looking around at the faces. "Good. Let's get going and see some dragons."  
They walked across to yard and by a carriage resembling the ones pulled by the thestrals at Hogwarts. They went into an enclosure labeled No. 1. "These are juveniles," said Charlie. "Pay attention and don't get too close. They are still capable of serious damage. The first one is a Catalonian Fireball. She was born about six months ago. They are strong fliers and can produce potent fireballs similar to the Chinese Fireball." One of the handlers poked her with his prod. She responded by shooting a fireball into the air causing the entire group to jump.  
"This over here," continued Charlie, "is an Antipodean Opaleye from either Australia or New Zealand. It is one of the most beautiful of dragons. Its eyes are like opal gemstones, hence the name. It has beautiful, pearly scales. They are unusual because the like to live in valleys, instead of mountains. They are one of the least aggressive and easily trained of all the breeds of dragons.  
Charlie led them through several other buildings. They saw every major breed of dragon known to the wizarding world and several subspecies. Harry got shivers just looking at the pair of Hungarian Horntails. They were full grown adults and made the one he faced in the tournament seem docile. They are notoriously difficult to train and handle.  
"Well", said Charlie, leading them out of the enclosure housing the horntails. "I imagine you are ready to head off to Japan. The carriage there is your portkey. Hop in and put your hand on the reins. Once you're up, there is a lunch in the basket and snacks for later. Remember what Neagoe taught you, and don't wait too long before drinking your sleeping potion."  
The kids got into the carriage and grabbed the reins. "C'mon, dad, "said Ginny. "We need to get going."  
"You are on your own from here, kids," he replied. "I will be heading home to The Burrows as soon as you are safely off. Be safe, and try to message us when you can."  
"All together now," said Charlie. "Pull on the reins."  
They did as instructed and there was the now familiar whooshing blur as they disappeared. Charlie and Arthur chatted a bit more as they walked over to the sofa. They sat down and were gone just like that.  
"Ohmigod," exclaimed Hermione. "I cannot believe we are on our way to Japan."  
"I know. It's a bit scary, really," admitted Ron.  
"Just remember," Harry reminded them. "We are on a mission. We have to stay focused."  
Ginny opened the basket and started sharing the lunch. None of them were particularly hungry after that big breakfast, but they ate their portions, knowing it would be a long time before they arrived. Hermione pulled the potion bottle out of her bag as they finished eating. She opened it and handed it to Ron. "Go ahead, Ron. Nap time".  
Ron hesitated. Ginny grabbed it from him and took a sip equal to about a quarter of the bottle. She handed the bottle to Harry, who also took a drink. He looked back to Ginny, who smiled at him like the potion was not working. Then she wilted into his arms. Harry quickly handed the bottle to Hermione and abruptly joined Ginny in a magical slumber.  
"Here, Ronald," she said, trying to hand him back the bottle. "Drink your potion."  
Go ahead, Mione," he said, still not mustering the courage.  
"Ronald!" she glared, her voice worthy of a Howler. He knew better than to balk. Taking the bottle, he tipped it up and drank.  
Hermione took the bottle from him and waited until he fell back against the seat. She did not want him to pull something like spitting it out after she drank the remaining portion. Tipping the bottle up, she emptied the bottle. Then, before she went to sleep she said "I love you, Ron," snogging him. She then laid down on her back with her head in his lap just as she slipped into darkness.  
The carriage continued on hour after hour carrying its slumbering passengers, traversing wondrous sights. Portkeys do not know great circle routes. They just travel in a straight line. So they went over China much of the way. In fact, they were over eastern China when they started to reawaken. As they were breaking out their wake-up snacks, the carriage started out over the East China Sea. Before too long they would be sighting the southern islands of Japan. Mahoutokoro is located on an uninhabited volcanic island know as Minami Iwo Jima or South Iwo Jima several hundred miles south of the main archipelago of Japanese home islands. The school sits on the highest point of the island but is concealed from detection like all wizarding schools.  
Soon, the carriage began to descend toward a cloudy patch of ocean. As they got closer, they could start making out the island among the clouds. But it appeared to be a barren, rugged rock pile. When it touched down on a small, flat area, it looked like they had been sent to an uninhabited island by mistake.  
After a moment a man in a long, gold robe with ornate cherry blossom designs on it stepped out from behind a huge boulder. He signaled for them to follow him as he turned and walked back around behind the boulder from which he had appeared. As they rounded the rock, they found a rugged stairway headed up as far as they could see.  
They climbed the stairs for what seemed like forever. They passed lush patches of exotic plants and flowers of great beauty. None of the birds or insects were familiar to them. Fortunately, all of this newness helped distract them from the exhausting climb they were taking.  
"Blimey," muttered Ron, not as into the natural beauty as the rest. "Couldn't the carriage have gotten us a little closer to the school.  
"Do you see any place for it to land, Ron? whispered Hermione, looking toward the steep, rugged terrain.  
"Just sayin," he whispered back, short of breath.  
Rounding a bend in the winding stairway, a large gate loomed in front of them. Their guide pulled out his wand and tapped it in several places, reminiscent of how you enter Diagon Alley from the Leaky Cauldron. As they passed through the now open gate, the world was transformed into a sculptured work of natural and man-made art of incredible intricacy and wonder. Standing in the middle of the courtyard was a group of similarly robed men, apparently the welcoming committee.  
They lined up in front of the men. The men bowed to them and said, "Konnichi wa. Watashitachi no kenkyona gakkō e no kangei." (Good afternoon. Welcome to our humble school.)  
The four of them bowed the way Neagoe had taught them. Hermione said," Konnichi wa. Wareware wa koko ni iru koto o kōei ni omou. Watashi wa shazai shimashou. Watashitachiha nihongo o hanasemasen." (Good afternoon. We are honored to be here. Let me apologize. We do not speak Japanese.)  
Hermione drew a deep breath and gave a bit of a sigh. She had pretty well depleted her Japanese. She hoped she had correctly memorized it.  
The presumed leader spoke again. This time in English. "I am Master Yoshitsune. Please allow me to continue in English."  
"We would be honored," said Hermione.  
Master Yoshitsune then introduced the rest of his group. They were all leaders and professors at the school. Hermione continued to take the lead for the group and introduced them.  
Master Tomita handed something to Master Yoshitsune. The master stepped forward the hands together and extended, palms up. On them was an intricately carved wand made from the most exquisite imperial jade. Hermione winced, knowing she had forgotten to prepare a gift.  
"Please accept this token of welcome to our humble school. It is a sculpture of the cherry wand of the headmasters of the school."  
"Thank you for offering us this most wonderful gift. But we come her only seeking your help. It is too presumptuous for us to accept such a superb gift as this."  
"Please accept it," requested the master. "It is a great honor for us to receive the heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts. We wish to honor all of you."  
Hermione knew she must now accept the gift. She extended her hands in the proper fashion and accepted the wand with a proper bow. Turning to Harry, she passed it to him. He also took it just as Neagoe had instructed. "What should I do?" she whispered.  
"There has got to be something, anything in your bag. Think quick," he whispered back.  
Hermione picked up her bag and reached in, hoping for an inspiration. It presented itself to her on its own. She pulled her hand out holding a tiny, damaged cup. It was the Cup of Helga Hufflepuff. She had saved it as a souvenir of her and Ron's first kiss, but it was about to serve a higher purpose than she could ever imagine.  
She positioned it properly in her hand as she stepped forward to offer it as the best she could come up with. "Please accept this humble token of the gratitude for all you are offering us. This cup is known as the Cup of Hufflepuff, named for Helga Hufflepuff, one of the founders of Hogwarts. It was turned into a horcrux by Lord Voldemort. We discovered it and destroyed it during the Battle of Hogwarts. We wish for you to accept it now as our gift to the school."  
Hermione fully expected him to attempt to refuse it. She hoped he would not think it too small, or worse, an insult after their gift. But words seemed to escape him. Hermione got tense, wondering what was about to happen. Harry, Ron and Ginny also tensed up.  
Finally, the master recovered his calm. "This is most overwhelming," he said with a bit of a hitch in his voice. "I do not know how we can accept a gift such as this. It is a treasure beyond all value. Surely it belongs in your school."  
"Please accept it. The noble services you are offering are more than worthy. We wish very much for your school to have it."  
Master Yoshitsune carefully extended his hands and received the cup. Hermione and the others were as yet unaware of the impact of what they had just done. In the warrior ways of the ancient codes with which the school lived, they had just presented them with a gift of such immense value that is beyond the ability to quantify. It was like they had given them the head of Voldemort, or at least one of his top generals such as Yaxley or Bellatrix. The school was going to do anything, literally anything possible to aid them. It was destined to prove so impactful that it would spawn the recognition of the Day of Reconciliation between Japan and the rest of the wizarding world.


	11. The Demystified -- a bit -- East

Having survived the formalities of arrival, the group felt a definite drop in their level of tension. As they crossed the intricately manicured courtyard they also admired the main school building, which instead of a castle-like Hogwarts, looked like a huge, palatial pagoda made entirely of Nephrite, or mutton fat jade as they would learn later.  
The Japanese had lived up to their clever reputation. Within the first minute, they had determined that the group could not speak Japanese, thus freeing them to talk and comment amongst themselves.  
Even with the weight of the gift from the group weighing upon them, they still found time to make observations about the group, some a bit sarcastic. They noted that Harry was much smaller than they imagined he would be. They expected a large, well-muscled warrior type with a handsome face to dazzle the ladies. They liked Ginny. She presented herself like the warrior princess they expected. Her long, straight reddish hair added to her appeal. They felt Ron looked a bit duller than the rest but brave and earnest. His mass of classically red Weasley hair made him look like his head was on fire. They nicknamed him Kagu-tsuchi (an ancient fire god). Most of all, they respected Hermione as the de facto leader who handled the affairs for the group. They discussed her beauty, which they termed wabi sabi, because her slightly crooked smile greatly enhanced, not detracted from her overall beauty.  
Master Yoshitsune led them into a room where they were positioned, kneeling, on the floor around the cups and other necessities of a formal tea ceremony. Having passed the first test, now it was time for their next big test.  
It went far better than anticipated. Everyone remembered the procedures as rehearsed with Neagoe. And the tea, as discussed later, was far better than the tea from their last tea party at the home of Xenophilius Lovegood. Ginny was quite surprised by the details of it, having not been there. She claimed she was going to discuss her father's behavior with Luna when they return. They asked her not to do that, but sometimes Ginny can just be Ginny.  
The current party was also the time for them to explain the nature of their mission and the type of help they needed. The sudden feeling of connection with their new friends made them seek to help in earnest. Master Yoshitsune told them they would figure out their best course of action and discuss things further at dinner. Master Tomita, who also spoke acceptable English offered to take them on a tour of the school and its grounds. It was an offer readily accepted.  
The school was literally an art museum of wondrous items of inestimable value. There were hundreds of sculptures, big and small, made from the finest imperial jade. An equal number more were carved from every color, and color combination, of other jades. They were careful to express their appreciation for the beauty of the art and the skills of the maker, and never for the piece. That might be interpreted as a wish for the school to gift it to them. They did not want to create an incident damaging their new relationship. Neagoe had schooled them well.  
The other art, paintings, tapestries, murals and more were equally impressive. The fountains, many with fish called goi with colorful scale patterns with unusual names were a special delight. Once finished inside, they found even more marvelous things outside. They were very impressed with what was called a Zen Garden. It was basically a large rectangle filled with gravel, a few manicured bushes, a bridge at one end and three large rocks. A nearby rake was available to carve wave patterns into the gravel once the rocks and movable bridge were located in a way satisfying the person arranging it. In theory, it could never be arranged the same way twice. A person, perhaps a student or professor was pulling another rake as they observed him for several moments. It was a strangely peaceful event.  
Behind the school was the highlight of the outdoor tour, a Japanese Garden. It was an incredible blend of trees, plants, waterfalls worn rocks along with bridges, stylized walkways and much more centered around a placid pond. Hermione mentioned to the others that if she had found this place during their period of hiding, she might well have just stayed there for the rest of her life, never regretting a moment. Ron thought she was a bit daft, but avoided a confrontation. Harry and Ginny understood, even though Ginny had never been on the run like the other three.  
The teahouse was especially interesting. You could sit at tables of varying heights and look out windows big and small at amazing landscapes. It was explained to them that artists identified perfect views and built frames around them. The building was then built so that the framed views became the open-air windows. The tables inside were then arranged to best enjoy each of the unique views. Tea never tasted better than while they were sitting, enjoying the culmination of man's attempt to balance the beauty of nature with the fragility of existence.  
Once back inside, they were ushered to a quiet lounge area to await the evening meal. They had heard students on occasion but had still not seen a single one. Master Tomita told them they would meet the student body at dinner. It was a bit exciting. They wondered how many might be able to converse with them in English.  
Master Tomita told them that few would be able to speak to them directly. But he was going to stay by their side to interpret. "Classes will end soon," he told them. "I must go prepare for the evening meal. You are fine the way you are. I will come back and get you when it is time."  
After the master left the room they began chatting. Hermione felt that their dress was not adequate for the meal. She felt a need for dressing up. Ginny agreed, while Harry and Ron, boys that they are, felt comfortable just the way they were.  
"Boys, I really think we should be better dressed for dinner," said Hermione.  
"You heard Master Tomita. We are fine the way we are," replied Ron.  
"I don't think you understood me, Ronald," she said in a stern tone causing Ron to sit up straight, eyes open, paying attention. Ginny was also looking at him with an expression that did not look very sympathetic to him. "I think better clothes are required."  
"Okay, right," he said, realizing the danger he was tempting if he did not comply. "Where are we going to get better clothes? I didn't see any shops nearby."  
Hermione picked up her bag and started reaching around inside of it. "You've done it now, Ron" admonished Harry with a chuckle. "You've got her digging around in her bloody bag. There is no telling what she has in there." Ron looked back at Harry and chuckled.  
"Hermione pulled out two sets of dress robes. Thankfully, the one she had for Ron was a new one she had purchased before they left instead of the ancient one from the ball during the tournament." Bloody hell," exclaimed Ron. "She has everything we own in that ruddy thing."  
"Shut up and get dressed, Ronald," she said, handing them their robes and pointing them across the room. "You can use the screens over there."  
"C'mon, Ron. C'mon before you get us in more trouble," quipped Harry with a chuckle, pulling him with him.  
Harry and Ron opened the screen wide and began changing. Hermione pulled a pair of lady's dress robes out of her bottomless storehouse of any and all things. They went over their dinner etiquette while waiting for the boys to finish dressing. So far, they had performed admirably. This was not a time to relax and let slip the teaching of Neagoe.  
Ron and Harry stepped out from behind the screen. The girls gasped as they saw them. "They look absolutely, almost like real gentlemen," poked Hermione.  
"Yes, whatever did they do with Harry and Ron," laughed Ginny.  
"Oh, shut up, the both of you," grumbled Ron, careful not to sound too angry and spark a second incident of getting the Ronald treatment.  
"Thanks, Hermione," said Harry. "I think you are right about this."  
The girls took their turn behind the screen. After an extended time, they emerged. They looked to the nines, every hair in place, the clothes military proper. As they crossed the room they brandished a pair of hair brushes. Like a pair of eagles, they swooped in and began brushing the unruly masses atop Harry and Ron's heads.  
It was a task Hermione would later say was only slightly easier than trimming dragon toenails, but in the end, the boys looked ready to pass muster.  
"Are we quite finished, now?" asked Ron, feeling a bit violated.  
"I suppose this will have to do," observed Hermione, feigning surrender to a failure to achieve the satisfaction she hoped for. "You can only do so much when you start out with damaged goods, I suppose."  
Ginny looked at Harry, sparking a chuckle from both of them. "You look great, Ginny," said Harry in a quiet voice. She leaned forward and gave him a kiss.  
Ron stood there like a store mannequin. Finally, he uttered, "You too, Mione, you look wonderful."  
"Too late, Ronald," she scolded him while hitting his shoulder. She would have hit him on the head but knew it would damage all of her work on his hair.  
"Right," he said, knowing he had earned the response.


	12. Dinner with New Friends

A short while passed, then Master Tomita appeared to collect them along with Master Yoshitsune.  
"We are a humble school," stated Master Yoshitsune. "I hope our meal pleases you."  
"I am certain it will be most delicious," said Hermione as they proceeded toward the dining hall.  
They did not realize the students were being kept late for this meal. Mahoutokoro is a day school, as they would find out later, the only one in the wizarding world. Their visit was being treated as a special event.  
The entire student body was already present when they entered the dining hall. Everyone stood when they entered. They were ushered to seats at the head tables along with the other masters and professors. No one sat down until they did.  
"Wow," whispered Ron. 'This is like being up front at Hogwarts. Can you imagine Malfoy's face?"  
"Yes," whispered Hermione, trying to silence him. "Remember our training. This is a great honor."  
Ron immediately sat still, trying to emulate the Hogwarts leadership he had observed over the years. He knew she was correct.  
Master Yoshitsune addressed the assembled students in Japanese. Master Tomita translated to them. It was mostly about the honor of having such distinguished guests visit their school. He told them of our glorious victory over Voldemort, pointing out that it was Harry who had vanquished him. Even in Japan, everyone was fully aware of Voldemort and the wars. He spent an extended amount of time telling them of the incredible gift they had presented to the school, what it was and how they captured and destroyed it, enough that the four them were a little uneasy, touching on the edge of being embarrassed. He finished by reminding the students of the school's expectations for them this evening. It was like having Dumbledore in the room.  
In finishing his remarks, Master Yoshitsune clapped his hands. A sumptuous feast appeared before them. Most of it was unrecognizable to them, but they made an effort to try everything. Most of it proved quite delectable, although only Ginny seemed to like the nori. The best moment of the meal was when Ron mistook the wasabi for guacamole, which he liked on occasion, and took a big dip before Hermione could stop him. The resulting commotion became a comic moment defused by Harry who stated mighty warrior Ronald was no match for Japanese wasabi. When Master Yoshitsune told the class what had happened and what Harry had said, the entire hall roared with laughter. Ron eventually regained his composure thanks to Hermione and copious amounts of Japanese pumpkin juice called kabocha.  
When the meal concluded after a delightful serving of Daifuku, Mochi and Taiyaki along with lots of various fruits, Master Yoshitsune had each of the group get up and say a few words to the students, translated by Master Tomita. Each of them performed in a way of which Neagoe would be proud.  
With the meal finished, everyone was dismissed so they could mingle. Long lines formed waiting to talk to each of them. Masters, including Master Yoshitsune accompanied each of the group, interpreting the questions back and forth. Many of the students presented small tokens to them, which they accepted with by now practiced grace. All of them wanted something signed by each of them. The school photographer took literally hundreds of pictures.  
The questions ranged the full gamut from dueling tips and selection of spells, to do you have a patronus, to what are your favorite foods at home and teenage boy-girl stuff. They graciously answered all of the questions until the head Master declared it time for them to leave. All of the students walked outside to the now impatient giant storm petrels that would deliver them home."  
"We must thank you once again for the honor you have brought to our school this day and the patience you displayed in speaking with our students," observed Master Yoshitsune. "Most people could not have endured such an ordeal."  
"It was a great privilege for us to have this opportunity and to speak to your wonderful students," said Harry, bowing and taking the lead for the first time. "We are greatly honored to have had this opportunity. I hope one day we can spend more time expanding our new friendship."  
"We had a meeting this afternoon and have decided on the best way to get you to Australia, and how to accommodate and best help you."  
"Thank you," said Harry. "This is most kind of you."  
"We have decided to have a pair of our strongest petrels fly you. Once you arrive you will meet the Japanese liaison to the muggle prime minister. He is a former student. I have sent word already for him to prepare for your arrival tomorrow evening. He is to extend all efforts on your behalf.  
Hermione stepped up, bowed, and thanked Master Yoshitsune for all of the kindness and welcome he had offered. She said the search for her parents is the most important mission of her life, and she is certain he has provided great assistance in helping her achieve it.  
"Please join us in our onsen," said Master Yoshitsune. "It has been a very eventful day for all of us. We would be honored if you would join us."  
"Yes, that will be a great honor," said Hermione, speaking for the group. A statement that was going to get her into a lot of hot water in a moment, and not the bath kind.  
Hermione remembered that a sento was a large, group bath, whereas an onsen was a hot spring also for bathing. However, she did not recall the bathing etiquette part. She may have skipped that section, figuring she would never need to avail herself of it. She pulled out her book on Japan as they walked to their rooms.  
"A good soak will feel good," said Harry. "It has been a trying few days."  
"Yes," agreed Ginny. "I would enjoy relaxing in some hot, soothing water."  
"Do you have our swimwear in your bag?" asked Ron. "We are going to need it if we are going to this bath together."  
"Uhhhhh…we, uhhhhhh…" stuttered Hermione, suddenly at a loss for words. "We are…uh…not going to…uh…need them according to the book."  
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" blurted Ron, taken aback.  
"Well, according to the book, we are all going to be naked. Bathing in an onsen is always done in the nude."  
"Bloody hell, Hermione," erupted Ron. "What have you gotten us into now. There is no way I…"  
"…There is every way, Ronald," said Hermione, a bit self-righteous at having been caught unprepared to wisely answer the request with a polite denial. She had locked them in by her ignorance of the details. It was too late to back out. They were going to take a bath. There was no way around it without undoing an entire day of stellar diplomacy. "I am sorry I didn't know better than to accept the invitation, but we are honor-bound to go through with it, now."  
"I said…" Ron tried once again to interject himself into the conversation, only to be cut off by a now angry Hermione.  
"…I SAID we are TAKING A BATH!" she said, angry at herself for creating the situation with her ignorance. She looked over at Harry, who had a cowed expression.  
"You're the boss, Hermione."  
Ginny was quiet and showed a little extra pink in her cheeks, but she had a slight hint of a smile like she might actually like the idea.  
"It says we should bring our own soap and other toiletries, and a towel for modesty while entering and exiting the water.  
"I want a bloody big towel," said Ron, accepting his fate, but not happily.  
They returned to their rooms to get ready. Harry and Ron barely spoke as they walked. The only coherent phrase was Ron saying, "I am going to kill her, Harry."  
"Easy, Ron," said Harry as they entered their place. "I think she is madder at herself than anything else. You know how she is when she doesn't get a perfect score."  
"Yeah, she is a bit funny when she gets upset at herself."  
They eventually left their room with towels fastened securely around them. Upon exiting the building a school staff member led them back through the garden to a large, bubbly, steaming pool of inviting water.  
Hermione and Ginny were already in the water, leaning back with only their heads, neck and the top of their shoulders showing. "How'd they get here so fast?" asked Ron. "How are we going to get in?"  
"Carefully," said Harry.  
"Welcome," said Master Yoshitsune. "Join us. It is most enjoyable."  
Harry and Ron danced around gingerly, getting in up to their knees. "Kill me, Harry," said Ron. Harry started to stoop and dropped faster than the eye could follow into the water without getting his towel wet.  
It took some doing, but Ron managed to pull off the same entrance. He looked over at Hermione and Ginny. They were laughing like first-year school girls.  
The hot, bubbling water quickly worked its magic. They all were feeling amazingly relaxed as evening fell with a sunset the likes of which was seldom seen.  
"Aren't you going to join us?" said Ginny, giggling.  
"Shut up, Ginny," said Ron. The members of the staff, which was a mixture of about seventy-five percent adult men and the rest adult women, were getting great amusement at watching the four of them.  
"We can come over there," giggled Ginny, urging Hermione to move that way with her.  
"Just stay where you are," barked Ron, starting to move further away from them. "I am going to talk to mom when we get home."  
Ginny just laughed, eventually causing Hermione and even Harry to join in.  
The light was almost gone from the sky as it filled with stars and a tiny fingernail clipping of a moon. Master Tomita then suggested it is time to retire so they would be ready in the morning. They managed to get out and cover themselves with the help of the darkness. The same staff members led them back to their separate accommodations. They got dressed for bed and got onto the bed mats, with their wholly inadequate pillows which all of them found a bit lacking in comfort.  
The next morning started early, with a delicious breakfast before the students began arriving. Hermione had all of the group's affairs packed in her bag. She was especially grateful for it today after packing away all of the presents from the students. It caused her to pause and actually consider whether or not the bag was indeed bottomless.  
The masters who had all greeted them when they arrived were assembled in the courtyard beside two mighty storm petrels. The group approached them, bowed and expressed thanks one more time. Hermione offered them the gift of a set of Gryffindor dress robes as a remembrance of their visit and to represent their school. Master Yoshitsune accepted them with proper respect. He then offered them each a set of the finest pink Mahoutokoro dress robes with intricate cherry blossom designs. They accepted them with all due ceremony. They had done more for international wizard relationship with their visit than any tournament could have accomplished. All that was left to do was to board their transportation.  
The first of the petrels carrying students to the school began arriving as Ron helped Hermione up onto the back of one of the big birds. He then climbed up to join her, embracing her around the waist from behind. Ginny mounted the other bird on her own, cementing her reputation as a warrior or Onna-bugeisha (a female samurai), meaning the entire group now had nicknames. Along with Ginny's new nickname, Ron was Kagu-tsuchi (fire god), Harry was Masutā ōbādesu (Master Over Death) in that he had cheated death multiple occasions. Hermione was Utsukushī gakusha (Beautiful Scholar), as the masters of the school had quickly realized she was as smart as she was beautiful.  
"Yuko tubo", said Master Yoshitsune as the masters all bowed. The great birds spread their wings and they were off to Australia.


	13. Riders on the Storm Petrels

The powerful birds soared high and fast to the south. Their speed of flight rivaled that of several jets. A shield spell protected them from the wind and sun as they sped on their way. They were told this was an eleven-hour flight, but they should add another hour for a stop on an uninhabited island in the Philippine Sea for a lunch and potty break, and so the birds could also eat, drink and restore their energy. They should expect to arrive in the vicinity of 8 or 9:00 pm.  
The trip was not as comfortable as the trip to Japan, sleeping in a padded carriage, but it was a great honor to be carried by the school's giant birds. They may well be the first non-student or staff of the school to have received this opportunity.  
The birds flew for what seemed an eternity but was really about the mid-point of the trip. They landed on a deserted island in the middle of the sea. There was fresh fruit on the trees to accompany the lunch provided to them by the school. Freshwater was also available, which accounted for the trees. The great birds began foraging food in the waters along the shore while the group stretched their legs.  
"I think we did an absolutely amazing job at the school," said Hermione succinctly as she took a bite from a juicy, fresh off the tree mango. "Even Ron performed professionally."  
"Always a total surprise," he snipped back, busily eating his lunch.  
"Neagoe taught us well. He should be a professor or something," observed Harry. "We need to bring him a nice present when we return there.  
"There is still a lot in front of us before that," noted Ginny.  
"You're right, we need to focus on a plan," said Hermione.  
"Right, we need a plan," Ron agreed.  
After their lunch, they found a secluded area close by where they could attend to bathroom issues. They took turns using it. Only Ron complained about their natural facility, having encountered a rather large spider during his turn.  
"Goddam!" Ron had exclaimed upon discovering it just as he began relieving himself. "What's a bloody spider doing in the middle of the ocean?"  
The others laughed. "Ginny quipped, "Do you want me to come kill it for you?" Giving him flashbacks of last night's bath.  
"You, you just stay where you are," he demanded.  
The petrels floated offshore capturing their meals. They seemed to put their heads into the water, swishing them about to gather up the microscopic planktons. After a good period of feeding, they returned to the rocky beach and stood in a position indicating they were ready to go whenever the group wanted.  
The foursome looked at each other, none wanting to unnecessarily delay the departure. They walked to their giant, feathery rides and mounted them, this time with Ron and Harry taking the front positions while the girls took their turn in back. "Hold on," said Harry. Ginny wrapped her arms tightly around him. Hermione did the same to Ron as the two birds launched themselves into the sky.  
Unlike the portkeys, the birds flew at fairly low altitude. This afforded the group an excellent view of things on the rare times that something other than water was in sight range. The hours passed slowly until a shoreline much larger than the occasional island they would pass over appeared on the horizon. "I think that's Australia in front of us," shouted Harry.  
"Yes," Ron hollered back. "It's about time. I'm going to sprout feathers if I sit on this bird much longer." Hermione gave him a small increase in her hug accompanied by a peck on the cheek, laughing at him.  
They didn't know their exact destination in Australia. Hermione had surmised it was probably Canberra, since it was the capital and they were going to meet the liaison to the prime minister. With apparition, that wasn't mandatory, but she was not quite correct in her assumption. The destination would turn out to be a remote area in Kosciuszko National Park where they would discover that a small wizarding community maintained a hidden headquarters and sanctuary. That meant they still had a fair piece of flying in front of them.  
The birds traversed an unpopulated course over the Northern Territory and Southern Australia before entering New South Wales. There was not much to see, but that meant not much too see them, either. No one wanted an unnecessary trip for the Accidental Magical Reversal Squad, assuming Australia had one.  
Finally, the birds started a rapid descent like they had done over the island where they ate lunch. They touched down in a remote, wooded area west of what they would learn was Mt. Kosciuszko, the highest point in Australia. As they dismounted the birds and left the protective shield bubbles, they noticed it was actually quite chilly. Hermione pulled some jumpers and jackets from her bag. They felt quite good against the weather.  
A slender man in a bush uniform approached them as they finished putting on their warmer clothes. It was Mick Nakatsuo, the liaison they were to meet. He was about the age of Ron's parents and ruggedly handsome with Asian and Caucasian features. His mother was a witch from Japan. His father, a muggle, was an Australian businessman she had met while he was in Tokyo on business. They fell in love and moved to his home in Australia. Mick, their only child, used the combined family connections to build his career and achieve his status as liaison to the prime minister.  
"G'day," he said. "I'm Michael Nakatsuo. Please call me Mick. Master Yoshitsune asked me to meet you and assist you in every way possible. Now, who might you be?  
"I'm Hermione Granger, sir. I am the reason we are here."  
"I'm Harry Potter…"  
"…Crikey! So, you are," he exclaimed, glancing at Harry's obviously world famous scar. "I know much about you, sir. It is an honor and pleasure to make your acquaintance."  
"I'm Ron…Ron Weasley," said Ron as Mick turned his attention to him.  
"And I'm Ginny Weasley. It is a pleasure to meet you."  
"Well, no need to stand out here in the cold weather. Let's go inside and get a warm drink. I imagine you need something after that bloody long flight."  
They all followed as Mick led the way. The giant birds took off and disappeared. With a wave of his wand, they passed through a protective spell barrier and into a previously hidden park-like setting more befitting Northern England. Suddenly, they felt a need to remove the cold weather gear they had just donned.  
"Blimey," said Ron  
"It's beautiful here," remarked Ginny.  
"We like it," said Mick. "A lot of people have spent a lot of time creating it. The first people came here, uh…several years back. It has been a work in progress ever since then. We don't allow a lot of people in here, but Master Yoshitsune was most insistent that we extend every courtesy to you. Your reputation precedes you. I actually knew who you were," he admitted, "But it is always prudent to work on the safe side. There is a truth spell in the shield wall around us. If you had been lying, it would have set off an alarm. I hope you understand."  
"That is quite reasonable," remarked Harry, looking to the others. They were nodding their agreement. After what they had been through with Voldemort, they were more than amenable to caution.  
Strange insects were crawling and flying among the unusual trees and bushes. Bird of many sizes and colors perched in the trees and foraged on the ground. Exotic flowers colored the background and scented the air with their sweet nectars. The girls noticed a koala, which they had seen in muggle picture books of animals, but never in real life. How cute," gushed Ginny. "It is like the little toy bear I used to sleep with when I was little." Hermione clasped her hands to her breast and smiled, enchanted by it.  
"Blimey!" exclaimed Ron, startling everyone and a few of the nearby cockatoos. "Look at the size of that bloody cony."  
Everyone looked over to see what had startled him. It was the biggest rabbit any of them had ever seen. Mick started laughing. "That's there is a wallaby. It is a marsupial…"  
"…I've read about those, interjected Hermione."  
"They do look a bit like a cony," added Mick. "But he's not a biggun. Wait until you see Old Red. He's our resident boomer…male Red Kangaroo. He's a biggun. He'll pop around sooner or later. It'll be feeding time in a while." Ron wanted to ask him about the spiders in Australia, but he was scared of the answer.  
"Follow me," he continued. "I'll show you to your quarters. You might be staying on a while. Best to get comfortable. They walked up to a modest, cut stone building. It kind of resembled Hagrid's cabin back at Hogwarts. Here ya go. Have a look at it. Sort out your sleeping arrangements. I will see you in the morning."  
They entered a building through a rustic, wooden door with a triangle over the door with a crooked line bisecting it top to bottom. "Did you see that triangle with the line thing over the door?" asked Ron.  
"Yeah," replied Harry," walking inside the building.  
"It kind of reminds me of the Deathly Hallows symbol."  
"Yes, I imagine it does look like it a little. But we know where they all are. So, it's probably nothing. Just a coincidence."  
"Still a little creepy, though,"  
"Relax, Ron," said Ginny. "You are always seeing things that aren't there."  
Inside the building opened up into a deluxe accommodation with a large sitting room, a good-size dinner table, kitchen and several bedrooms. There were three bathrooms, including one with a large, circular Japanese-style spa surrounded by sculptures and mosaic walls. The same type of charm used on the Weasley's tent and Hermione's bag must have been employed in the making of it.  
"This bath is gorgeous," remarked Ginny, looking at Ron.  
"Don't be getting any ideas," he spurted out defensively.  
"Still a bit shy are we, Ron?" said Harry. Hermione blushed a little but joined Ginny giggling.  
"C'mon, Harry," Ron said, feeling ganged up on. "You, too. It is bad enough the girls…but blimey. We're supposed to be mates."  
Now all three of them were laughing heartily at him. "Piss off," he barked, stomping out of the room.  
Harry, Hermione and Ginny picked a bedroom, leaving the fourth one to Ron. The place had all of the accouterments of a pretty fancy hotel. They were quite impressed, especially by the comfy mattresses on the beds after those hard floors at the school.  
"This is a pretty amazing arrangement for out here in the mountains," observed Harry.  
"Well, he is the liaison to the prime minister. Sort of equal to Kingsley, back home. I suppose the job comes with some level of perks," said Hermione.  
"I imagine," agreed Ginny. "I wonder how many others stay here? Maybe we will find out at breakfast."  
After a few moments, they all met in the sitting room where Ron was trying to sulk after the bathroom incident. "C'mon, Ron," said Harry. "We were just having a bit of fun."  
"It wasn't funny," he grumbled, trying to sound angry.  
Hermione walked up behind him and put her arms around his shoulders. She leaned forward and snogged him on the cheek. "I still love you, Ronald. Even though you won't take a bath with me." she giggled.  
Ron shook her away and flushed. Then, despite his best efforts, he started laughing. "It's still not bloody funny," he choked out.  
"I think we should probably go to bed," mentioned Harry. "Could be an early day, tomorrow. I don't know how they operate around here."  
There was a general agreement as everyone looked around at each other. A few moments later they had retired to their rooms, wondering what tomorrow would bring.


	14. Breakfast of Strangers

The sound of a rooster stirred the group much earlier than expected. Apparently, this place was part of the early to bed, early to rise movement. Mick knocked on their door to inquire whether or not they were ready to meet a few people for breakfast.  
They made their way to a building that turned out to be just as it appeared from the outside. Inside was a dining area large enough for fifty or sixty people. About twenty people were sitting at the front tables. Mick led the group up front and a round of introductions ensued.  
The elves delivered a truly delightful breakfast with meats, bread and fruits, many of which were new to the group. After a few minutes, Mick asked Hermione to please tell everyone about why they had come all of this way from the UK.  
Hermione went on from there with an explanation as to the nature of their visit and a general request for any help or ideas they could offer.  
"You say your parents are dentists," noted Bodrick Jordan. "Just what is it that a dentist does?"  
"They tend to a person's teeth. Muggle's teeth can occasionally need repair from accidental breakage or damage from decay due to improper diet," she explained. "A dentist fixes their teeth."  
"Fascinating," said Mykew Abbott, picking up her goblet. "Muggles are more clever than we sometimes imagine."  
"Then are we to assume we are looking for a pair of dentists here in Australia?" inquired Ariana Moody. "Are their many of them here? Do we know their names?"  
I gave them the names Wendell and Monica Wilkins," said Hermione.  
"We don't know how many there are," said Mick, picking up from Hermione. "We will be going to Canberra to meet with some contacts after this meeting. I am hoping to get us some answers that can resolve this issue as quickly as possible. No need for dilly-dallying if we can speed things along. The sooner we can solve this mystery, the sooner everyone can return home."  
"Thanks, Mick," said Araminta Rookwood. "We certainly would feel best if we could help these young folks and solve this as quickly as possible."  
"We certainly want to solve this," said Mick, finishing his drink.  
"So, Mr. Potter," asked Nicolas Gudgeon, "how do the rest of you come to be part of this search?"  
Harry stood up, cleared his throat and said, "We are all friends. That's what friends do when another friend is in need. I guess that is the simple answer. But it is more than that. All of us have been touched by tragedies in our lives. As you probably know, my parents were killed by Voldemort when I was barely a year old. My godfather was locked away in Azkaban for a crime he did not commit. Later he lived life as a fugitive, never exonerated until sometime after his death at the hands of a follower of Voldemort named Bellatrix LeStrange, his own cousin, while defending his friends, including all of us, at a battle in the Ministry of Magic. Ron and Ginny almost lost their father to an attack by Voldemort. Later, their brother George lost an ear to a curse that was aimed to kill him during a battle. Their brother Bill was clawed across the face by a werewolf in Voldemort's army named Fenir Greyback. Their brother Fred was killed defending his friends at the Battle of Hogwarts. That is what friends do. We fight and defend each other, help each other. Even if it puts us in danger."  
Harry looked over at the others. Ginny was weeping, and Ron had his head on the table. Hermione was drying her eyes with a napkin. The rest of the people seemed very focused on what he was saying. They seemed oddly interested like this was really touching them. He felt compelled to carry on.  
"I remember meeting a man named Barty Crouch Sr. in the year I competed in the TriWizard Championship." There was a buzz in the crowd. Many of them seemed to know of the tournament, or Barty, or both, perhaps. "He was the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He seemed like a cold, formal, sour man to most of us. But I found out later his son Barty Crouch Jr., was one of Voldemort's deatheaters who was convicted of some horrible war crimes. Barty was the was the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at that time. He was forced to sentence his own son to a lifetime in Azkaban. It destroyed him inside. Can you imagine? His own son. The first and only time I spoke with Mr. Crouch was during the tournament. He apologized for not speaking to me earlier. He said he was all too familiar with my story, having heard it many times. Then he said something to the effect that my life story was remarkable and tragic, of course. He said "To lose one's family, never whole again. Still, life goes on." I didn't realize it at the time, but he was not only speaking to me but about himself. Mr. Crouch was later murdered by his own son after he escaped from Azkaban. Hermione's family has been taken from her by her own hand, taken for different reasons, good intentions, but taken none the less. There is a chance we can fix that. That is what friends do. That is why we are here."  
Hermione was now sobbing into the sleeve of her jumper. Ron had his arm around her, and Ginny's around him. Harry sat back down, trying to figure out what to do.  
Ron stood up, feeling compelled to at least say something since he had yet to speak. Ginny stood up beside him, taking his hand as Hermione tried to gather herself.  
"Yeah, well…uh…it's what Harry said." started Ron, Ginny squeezing his hand. "and Hermione, too. We're here because we are friends. And besides, Hermione is really more than my friend, she is my girlfriend. I don't think I'd hear the end of it if I didn't come along."  
Ginny let loose of his hand a stepped back, a shocked expression on her face. "Ronald," she snarled. "What did you just say?"  
Harry's face registered instant shock as well. He looked at Hermione, not knowing what to say, as she glared up at Ron. The tension across the entire room was palpable. "Really, Ronald," she said in a voice indicating impending doom. "Really?…really?…"  
"…Just saying…" he said, digging his burial hole even deeper.  
Then Hermione couldn't contain herself any longer and burst out laughing. The tension in the room burst as well. The entire room got a good laugh. Ron, despite his best effort to the contrary, had been spared over to another day.  
The elves began clearing the tables. Mick told the group it was time to leave for Canberra. As they exited the building, walking into the central courtyard, Mick said. "We will use a portkey to get to Canberra," Apparating five people is a bit beyond my skills. We certainly don't want anyone getting splinched.  
Ron winced at the comment, remembering all too well when he got splinched escaping from the Ministry of Magic. It was the most pain he could ever imagine. He would walk to Canberra to avoid that risk again.  
"I have a portkey in my room," said Mick. "You'll need to dress a bit business-like for where we are going. Get changed and come back here while I get it. Be right back."  
They all looked to Hermione. She just smiled, and they knew she had them covered with the contents of her bloody, beaded bag.  
"Why do I get the feeling they don't want us here," Ron asked Harry.  
"They do seem a little tense," Harry replied. "I think it is just that they aren't used to visitors"  
"They are our best hope," said Hermione. "We have to trust them."  
"I just feel something," added Ron.  
Ginny put her arm around Hermione and said, "We'll be fine." Then she turned to Hermione and whispered, "I think Ron is just scared of the bathtub." Both girls started laughing so hard they almost fell over.  
Mick reappeared carrying a large stuffed bird sitting on a tree branch. "It's a kookaburra, kids," said Mick, placing it on the ground in front of him. "Type of kingfisher. Quite common in these parts. No one is likely to nick it or throw it in the dustbin by accident. Makes a good portkey."  
Everyone gathered around the bird and grabbed onto the branch. "This will take less than an hour," said Mick. "Get a good grip, now." There was a whoosh and they were off and flying.


	15. Going to the Big House

"These are the Snowy Mountains," remarked Mick, pointing at the tallest of them. "That there is Mt. Kosciuszko, highest point in Australia."  
Their flight continued northeast over the wooded, mountainous landscape. It eventually flattened and started to show more and more signs of civilization, then a modern city. The portkey began descending and they found themselves standing in a wooded area near a bunch of buildings.  
"This is Parliament House and where the prime minister works," Mick stated, pointing to a fine looking, modern building. "We'll be visiting the prime minister. That shouldn't be too difficult to do. Just a matter of schedule shuffling. It's my job to talk with him on occasion. I have brought guests in the past. We should do fine."  
The group finished dusting themselves off from the landing. Mick pulled out his wand and gave it a quick wave. A trapdoor in the ground opened, revealing a small, hidden vault with a few basic supplies in it, including rain gear, a briefcase and some drink bottles of a clear, brownish liquid. He picked up the portkey and fit it into the vault, removing one of the bottles at the same time. With a wave of the wand, the vault was resealed, invisible to the casual observer. "Sorry, but we will have to share," he said, popping the top off the bottle. "This is hopperloo. I believe it is similar to a drink you call butterbeer. People are fond of it down here. I think you will like it."  
With that, Mick took a drink, wiped the mouth of the bottle. "Here," he said, handing it to Harry. "Give it a try."  
"Harry took the bottle and gave the drink a tentative sniff. "It smells pretty good," he remarked, taking a drink. "Yes, that is good. Kind of fizzy. A bit bitter."  
He handed the bottle to Ron, who also took a whiff of it before drinking some. "You're right, Harry. I like that," declared Ron. "I could drink this really easy."  
Ginny took the bottle and wiped off the mouth. She tipped it up without any inspection. "Yummy! How can we get more of that?" she asked. "I like this better than butterbeer."  
"Don't worry, Ginny," Mick said with a chuckle. "We have plenty back home. I told you that you'd like it."  
Hermione took her turn, carefully cleaning the mouth and smelling it a couple times before drinking the remainder of the brew. "That's delicious. How is it made?"  
"I have never made it," said Mick, "But I know it is made from grain and a few other things. I know it involves a fermentation process. Some folks copied it from watching muggles. They make something they call beer. This is quite similar, I believe. You have to be careful of it. It can make you a bit loopy if you drink too much."  
Mick took the bottle and started off toward the buildings. "Follow me, folks. It's time to meet the prime minister. Gotta put on our best game faces."  
The group looked at each other, doing their best to steel their face so they could present themselves in a professional manner.  
'We'll be heading to that big building," said Mick, starting to walk in that direction."  
As they walked toward the building, admiring the well-kept grounds, Ron could not contain his curiosity any longer. "What's the deal with the triangle with the bent line back at your place?" he asked. Hermione stutter-stepped, losing grip of his hand. "It seems to be everywhere."  
"Oh, that's just our logo," replied Mick matter of factly. "Some of the people who founded the place were fascinated with the Hallows. You know all about them of course. It is my understanding you destroyed them during the big battle."  
"Two of them," said Harry, knowing his invisibility cloak was safe back at The Burrows, that is unless Hermione had nicked it and stashed it in her bag.  
"Fair enough. They called our place Hallow House. Said the triangle represented the Invisibility hallow. They likened our shield spell to it. The bent line is the wand of Violet Warrington. She used it to create the original shield. I think that is about all there is to explaining it. I think we keep it more for sentimental reasons now than anything else. It doesn't really stand for much else."  
"Okay," said Ron, feeling satisfied with the answer.  
"Feel, better now, Ronald?" asked Hermione, a touch of annoyance in her voice at Ron's impertinence as she regained her hold on his hand with a tight squeeze.  
"I was just wondering, is all. Actually, pretty interesting." Hermione squeezed his hand and smiled.  
They arrived at the plaza leading to the entrance of the Parliament Building. "Just follow me," said Mick in a calm voice. "I am well known to the security people here. They find me charming, shall I say. They are used to me bringing an occasional visitor or two. There's nothing to worry about. Looks like Hermione is the only one with a bag to inspect. Nothing in it that shouldn't be I take it?"  
"It has a muggle guard charm on it. There will be nothing unusual for them to see in it."  
"Good on that. Then let's go in. Just do as I do. You have nothing to worry about. Hermione, you will have to let them inspect your bag. The rest of you just step through the metal detector like I do."  
They crossed the plaza like any of the dozens of other tourists visiting, taking pictures this day. But they were on a mission, and Mick led them straight on to the visitor's entrance without pause.  
"G'day, Mr. Nakatsuo" said a uniformed guard as Mick passed through the doors and approached the security checkpoint. "How are you, today?"  
"Very well, Rod. How's things with you?" he replied as he dropped his wallet and a few other small items into the tray for the x-ray scanner and step through the metal detector.  
"I see you have friends with you, today?" said the guard, looking at them.  
"Yes, visitors from a college government program. Getting their first experience in the capital. Maybe they will be working here one of these days."  
Mick was very polished in his ways with the guard. He was made for his job in the political world as well as the wizarding one. Harry, then Ron followed by Ginny stepped through the arches of the detector without any issue as Mick smiled, waiting for them on the other side. Hermione stepped up and placed her bag on the x-ray machine belt. It disappeared inside as she successfully passed through the arches.  
When her bag came out on the other side, the attendant took it and opened it for a visual inspection. Reaching inside, his hand came back out holding a tampon. You could see a slightly shocked reaction as he put it back into the bag without looking any further. Hermione and Ginny suppressed a giggle as she retrieved it.  
"Right slick charm you got there on that bag, Hermione," Mick chuckled, as they started down the hall toward the Ministerial Wing where the prime minister and the rest of the executive branch offices reside. "I need to learn that one."  
They passed through another security check when they entered the Ministerial Wing. This was more of a formality check to keep random members of the public and such out. Once again, Mick called the guard by name and chatted with him a moment before they proceeded onward. The last check was at the entrance to the prime minister's office. Again, it was more of a formality check monitoring who came and went. Once inside, the secretary, a slightly heavy lady of about forty with a pretty face surrounded by neat, professional-looking blonde hair, greeted him like they had been friends for years…perhaps they had. Brought you something," he said proudly, producing a small box that none of the group had seen him with earlier and placed it on her counter. They're the dark ones with the coffee beans and nuts you like. I thought about you when we were in the shop a bit ago."  
"I shouldn't," she said, charmed by his smooth demeanor, "but I…"  
"…Go ahead, luv," he said. "You know I'd never ask for anything in return. Well, other than a smile. It's okay."  
"Thanks, Mick." she said with the requested big smile. "John is just finishing a meeting. It shouldn't be more than a couple minutes. Why don't you all sit down? Does anyone need something to drink?"  
"I think we are fine. We'll just sit down," he responded.  
"You're a bit of a smoothie, mate," Ron said to Mick, a bit jealous of his ease in talking to the secretary. He imagined himself and Harry with those skills back at Hogwarts. They would have been the most popular guys in the school.  
About five minutes had passed when the big door behind the secretary's station opened and two men in expensive looking suits came out, laughing and saying their thank yous and goodbyes. A moment later a man of moderate height with wire-rimmed glasses came out of the room. He was handsomely dressed with a rim of gray hair that collectively made him look quite worthy of the post of prime minister.  
"Ah, Mick. Carol said you were here. Brought some friends with you, I see. Step in," he said, holding his door in a welcoming fashion. "Always good to see you."  
"Thanks, John," said Mick in a cheerful tone. "Yes, it is good to see you as well. Carol took good care of us like always while we were waiting. I'm going to steal her from you one of these days."  
Ginny and Hermione looked at each other. You could see Mick's polished style was having the Lockhart effect on them.  
The prime minister closed the door behind them as they entered. "Please, take a seat," he said, walking behind his desk and sitting down in a huge, heavily padded office chair that was about one step away from being a throne on wheels.  
"Now, let's do introductions and you can tell me what brings you all here today."


	16. I’m from the Government and I’m Here to Help

"I'm John Howard," said the prime minister. "Please call me John. I am the prime minister of Australia. But I am sure Mick has informed you of all of that. So, Mick, tell me who your guests are and what brings you all here." The group, who had been admiring all of the decorations in the office, pictures, statues and a particular collection of cricket bats with signatures and pictures on them, snapped to attention.  
Mick stood up and put his hand on Harry's shoulder. "These folks are here from the UK and they have a problem that I am hoping you can help them with. This is Harry Potter…  
"…That's a familiar name. I seem to have heard it before, I believe."  
"Yes, John," said Mick. "You remember me telling you about that big battle a few weeks ago where that wizard we had talked about being a threat to the world, Lord Voldemort, got killed? Harry here is the wizard who killed him."  
"Ah, yes, I do remember that," said the prime minister, standing up extending his hand over the desk. Harry stood up and shook his hand. "You say Harry is the guy who killed the most dangerous wizard of all time, and you think he needs my help with a problem? That must be some problem."  
"Well, it's a bit of a different problem, said Mick as he urged Ron and Ginny to stand. "It is more of a problem for the police, but then I can't be going to them then, can I? Both men chuckled at that notion.  
"This is Ron Weasley and his sister, Ginny," continued Mick. "They are friends and part of this team working on the problem I am getting to." They both shook hands with the prime minister.  
"Finally, this is Hermione Granger." Hermione stood up and smiled quietly as she shook hands with the prime minister. "She is the reason we are here. She has a real stickler of a problem. Do you feel up to describing it, Hermione? Or should I, or maybe one of the others do it?"  
"Thanks, Mick," said Hermione. "I think I feel up to it. I would like to do it."  
"Please," said John as Mick took a seat. "Just relax and tell me about this problem. I will do everything in my power to help you solve it."  
Hermione remained quite composed as she went on to lay out the story of her parents and her mission to find them. Harry, Ron and Ginny sat quietly, hands linked in support. There was a positive vibe in the room.  
"My lord," gasped John as Hermione finished her description of her plight. "This is an absolutely dreadful situation. What are you proposing we do, Mick? Of course, I want to help. Give me a little direction on your ideas."  
Mick got back up. "First off, Hermione's parents are dentists. They tend to your teeth. I trust you are familiar with that particular trade."  
"Oh yes," said John. "Painfully so, I am afraid."  
Hermione couldn't help but crack a little grin at both the ignorance of dentistry to the magical world and John's clever comment.  
"They also are, if all went right, living with the names Wendell and Monica Wilkins. I know Wilkins is a common name. But that should be some fair information to go on. What else would be useful for the search?" asked Mick.  
Pictures. Recent pictures would be of great use. Do you have any we can use?"  
Hermione reached into her bag and started rummaging about. Ron, Ginny and Harry grinned at each other, knowing what to expect.  
It took a bit, but Hermione produced a small photo album with several pictures of her family. "Will these help?" she asked as she handed the album to John.  
"Yes, these will do nicely," John said, nodding his approval as he perused them. Excuse me a moment."  
John hit a button on a box on his desk. Carol entered the room a few seconds later. "Yes, sir," she said. "What can I do for you?"  
"I am helping Miss Granger here with a bit of a problem. Can you get Peterson to come up here? I have an assignment for him. Tell him it's important. Oh yes. Cancel that 2:00 meeting. I didn't want to talk to them anyway. Let them stew about their bill a while longer. It will do them good."  
"Yes, sir," responded Carol, turning and leaving the room.  
"Peterson is my go-to guy for information. Whenever I have a problem, I put him on it. He is a bloodhound at finding things. I am sure he will get this moving."  
"Thank you, sir…uh…John," said Hermione. "I really feel good about this for a change. It has been giving me a rough go. But this seems encouraging."  
The conversation went off topic for a while with Harry telling John about the Battle of Hogwarts, horcruxes and dark magic. He found it all fascinating, having only a passing knowledge of such matters. Harry watched Mick as he talked, looking for cues if he was sharing too much information. Mick seemed comfortable with Harry's story, so he continued on until Carol interrupted things with a call on the intercom.  
"Trevor is here," she said.  
"Good, sent him in."  
A moment later the door opened and a young man, not significantly older than the members of the group entered. He was tall and slim with a bookish appearance, glasses and unruly hair. If he were a wizard, he would probably fit right into the group.  
"This is Trevor Peterson," announced John. "He is my knower of all things, finder of all facts and searcher of all details." Harry and Ron looked at each other. "Hermione's lost brother," said Ron. The two of them started to laugh but had to suppress it when the attention in the room turned to them.  
"Sorry. Bit of gas," said Harry, feigning a need for the restroom. "I might need to excuse myself for a moment.  
"Clever," said Ron as Harry stood.  
"Step out. Carol will show you to the facility."  
He was gone a few minutes. During that time John explained his needs to Trevor. He wanted a search on the name Wilkins with a focus on the given names Wendell and Monica. He wanted it also sorted to look for people of that name who were immigrants. He also wanted a list of all the dentists in Australia focusing on those who had started practicing in the past five years.  
"There," said John as Harry returned to the room, "Is that enough for now, Trevor?  
"Yes, sir," he responded. "I think I can work with that."  
"When do you think you can have it back to us to review?"  
"I can have it by morning if that is soon enough. Just give me a time."  
John went over his schedule for the next day with Carol. They settled on a 12:30 meeting that would include lunch.  
"Well then," he said, the conclusion of this meeting in his voice. "I think we should all get on with our days. I will see you back here tomorrow afternoon.  
"Thank you so much," said Hermione, genuine gratitude in her voice. "This is so wonderful."  
"Yes," said Ron, standing up beside Hermione and taking her hand. "Thank you."  
Harry and Ginny also expressed their thanks as Mick tried to herd them out the door. He knew the value of the time they had been given. He did not want to abuse his welcome.  
Hermione was the most upbeat she had been since leaving on their mission. She was finally getting some positive action. A sense of possible success was edging into her heart.


	17. One Step Forward,  Two Steps Elsewhere

They made their way out of the Parliament House and back toward the hiding place for the portkey.  
"I feel really good about this," said Hermione. "I get the sense he is serious about helping."  
"He's a good man," claimed Mick. "He has been an honest and true friend to our world since becoming prime minister. I think he will make an honest effort to help you."  
"We have a wizard back home who speaks with the prime minister in London," began Harry. "I know he talks with her. He never speaks much about it. I am not sure if they get on all that well. Do we have people like you and him in different countries?"  
"I can't speak for all countries, but I know there are people in several of them. Of the ones I have met, most of them have good understandings. Some are quite friendly, like mine with John. A few have love-hate relationships. I suppose it takes all kinds to make the world the world."  
Arriving back at the hiding place, Mick pulled out his wand and opened the hidden vault. He pulled out the kookaburra and placed it on the ground. "Fancy another hopperloo before we go?" he asked, certain of the answer.  
He was met with some very enthusiastic affirmatives. "What the hell," he chuckled heartily. "Let's have two."  
The group polished off the drinks in right fashion. "I need to take these back for replacement," he noted. Can't be running out now, can we?"  
"Let me put them in my bag," asked Hermione. "I'll give them back when we are at your home."  
"Okay then," he agreed. "Let's go then. Don't want to be late for dinner."  
A few seconds later they were high in the air sailing out of sight of Canberra. The trip back seemed quicker than the trip there. They landed outside the center in the place where the petrels had brought them the day before.  
"We can fly out of Hallow House, but we can't fly back in. Part of the protection," said Mick as they got up and made their way toward the invisible barrier. "We have to be on the ground to pass through it."  
Mick pulled out his wand and opened the barrier. They reentered the climate controlled bubble encasing Hallow House.  
"That's better," said Mick, "Bloody cold out there."  
"Definitely," agreed Harry. "What type of wood is your wand? It's quite striking."  
"It's cherry with a dragon heartstring core," answered Mick. "I got it back in my school days. I'm quite proud of it. Quite hard to come by. Now, why don't you get ready for dinner and I will meet you there shortly."  
The group went back to their home for a quick clean up. As they were entering, Hermione remarked, "Neville has a cherry wand."  
"Yes, that's right. I forgot," said Harry. "But it is nothing to look at like Mick's. That's a fine piece of craftsmanship there."  
The group washed up and changed. When they got to the dining hall, Mick was there waiting. The same group as this morning with a few additions were also there. The elves had already served up the meal. "Let's grab a seat and get some food," said Mick. "No need to stand on formalities."  
There was no need to ask twice, especially Ron. The group sat down and filled their plates with the sumptuous food. A lady with graying red hair and a large nose sitting across from them introduced herself as Bertha Prewett. "I hear you had an eventful day meeting the prime minister," she said. Mick had apparently mentioned events of the day before they arrived. "How did it go, dears?"  
"It went quite well, actually," said Hermione in a cheerful voice. "He seemed a nice man. He assigned a person to gather information for us. We will meet back with him tomorrow afternoon. I am really quite excited, actually."  
Ron, Harry and Ginny looked at Hermione. They had not seen her like this in quite a while. It was a pleasant change. They hoped the good of today would linger on for a good while.  
"Well, I hope it goes well. The sooner you find your parents the better," added Bertha. "This situation is horrible. I hope it gets cleared up soon."  
"We are all hoping for that," said Ron, scooting over and putting his arm around Hermione's waist.  
Desserts appeared on the tables and everyone dug into it. "That's a Lamington cake, there," Mick said, pointing to a chocolatey sponge cake with coconut on it. Australian specialty. You should try that. And that's another specialty over there. It's a meringue with whipped cream and fresh fruit. We call it a Pavlova. Be sure to try it."  
They indeed tried both, Ron a second time. They declared them outstandingly delicious. It's been a big day," observed Mick. "Would you fancy a soak? We have a big, community spa. Be a great way to relax before bedtime."  
"No, I don't think so," blurted Ron, his face getting red.  
"Blimey, Ron. Are you scared of bathing?" asked Mick.  
"No," laughed Harry as Hermione and Ginny also joined in on the laughter. "He scared of being seen in the bath." By then the three of them were roaring in laughter.  
"Come, again?" asked Mick, confused by the answer.  
"We got talked into a bath at the school and we all…"  
"…say no more," laughed Mick, now fully understanding the situation. "You had to be naked. Well, we are a bit more civilized here. Everyone wears bathing clothes. If you showed up naked…well let's just say it would create quite a stir."  
"Well, I am up for it," said Harry. "Girls? Ron?"  
"Definitely," chimed Ginny.  
"Me too," said Hermione.  
"Sure, I'm in then," announced Ron, trying to downplay his earlier reaction.  
"There is just one small issue, Mick," said Hermione. "We don't have any swimming suits."  
The other three looked at Hermione with shocked expressions. "You mean we finally found something you don't have in that bloody bag of yours?" said Ron. "How do you…"  
"…no worries" interrupted Mick. "Go back and change into the big robes in your closets. We have plenty of outfits that will fit you. We'll sort you out over there in the changing area."  
Before long they were all suited up and immersed in the hot, bubbling waters. Everyone in the place had a similar suit…medium blue with the triangle and bent line on it. The men had the symbol on the front of their right thigh, the women centered on the abdomen.  
The water felt much better than it did at the school to Harry and Ron, who had never really gotten relaxed there. Ginny and Hermione moved over next to them. Ron, feeling brave now that he was wearing a swimming suit, and the girls were also properly attired, stayed his ground this time. "Feeling better, boys?' Ginny asked in a smart-alecky voice. Harry jumped as she started poking him in the ribs. "Still a bit tense, I see," came the accompanying, giggly comment.  
Harry's response was mostly a reaction to the fact he was reasonably ticklish. Still, it was enough to encourage Ginny to continue and to encourage Hermione, who was seated next to Ron, to start.  
"Harry," choked Ron. "What is the matter with these nutters?"  
"I don't know," Harry managed to say as he lurched about as the poking continued.  
The attack mercifully stopped after a minute finally giving the boys a chance to try to catch their breath. "I think they are at sixes and sevens," wheezed Ron.  
"Sixes and sevens!? Is that what you think, Ronald Weasley?" said Hermione, an air of false indignation in her voice. "Well…" she said as she gave him another dose of finger pokes along his rib cage.  
"Enough," he gasped, wallowing about. "Bloody hell, Mione."  
Ron was secretly loving what was occurring. It was the first playfulness in some time from Hermione. She had started to regain her lighter side in the first days after the battle. The giddiness of victory was contagious. Everyone was breaking loose. Then her darker thoughts started to consume her as she started to dwell on the losses, especially her parents.  
She had not been open about her slippage in mood. It was not until her breakdown while talking to Harry that her true emotional self was opened up to the others.  
They enjoyed an extended stay in the inviting, hot bubbles. Eventually, they moved closer to some of the others, so they could chat. The others wanted to mostly know more about Hogwarts and the wizarding community there following the war. Harry and Hermione asked them about Hallow House and how they came to be there. Elladora Robins talked about all of the work spent over the years turning it into the resort that was before them. Before she got into the part of how she and the others found themselves here, Mick interrupted her with the suggestion that the group needed to call it an evening and get some rest.  
Harry and the rest returned to their house to prepare for bed. Sleeping was great at Hallow House. It was quite dark beneath the shield dome. There were no roaring dragons at the crack of dawn. And the beds were as comfortable as any they had ever slept on in their lives. They could understand why people would not want to leave here. It was a paradise of a sort.


	18. Tell Us Some Good News

Everyone woke up feeling truly refreshed. They dressed and made their way to breakfast on their own. The layout of the grounds was becoming familiar enough to no longer need a guide. This was going to be the day. Hermione was sure of it.  
Inside the dining hall everyone, including Mick, was enjoying a delicious looking spread of food. They ate their fill, trying many new fruits and other food items. It this trip accomplished nothing else, heaven forbid, it will have greatly expanded their culinary experiences.  
Mick joined them after a bit. He figured they would leave about 10:30 am to make their meeting with John and Trevor. Until then, they were free to roam about the grounds. Everyone seemed quite comfortable with their presence by now.  
They left the hall and began strolling through the property enjoying the scented air, colorful flowers and birds, and waters. "What do you suppose goes on in these other building?" asked Ron.  
"Don't know," said Harry.  
"Could be a lot of things" added Hermione. "Probably not interesting or they would have been keen to show it off. They seem pretty proud of the place."  
"Probably right," agreed Ron.  
They found themselves sitting by a pond full of fish and strange water plants when Mick finally caught up with them. His timing was perfect. A couple minutes earlier would have interrupted a fair session of snogging.  
"It'll be time to go shortly," he announced. "Are you all gathered up and ready?"  
"I think we are," said Hermione, looking for agreement from the others. "Just say when. I am a bit excited."  
"Okay, then," I will meet you out front in fifteen minutes," said Mick. "I have to get the portkey from my room. Best to be on time. Bad form to keep the prime minister waiting when you are asking him for assistance." Everyone nodded in agreement.  
Fifteen minutes later they were sailing through the morning skies of Australia. It promised to be another chilly day in Canberra. The group was quite amused by the fact that this was the height of winter in Australia. They hadn't really given that much consideration before embarking on this quest.  
They landed in the same place as before. Portkeys are dependable that way. Mick placed the key in the vault and also stashed a new supply of hopperloo in it, as well.  
"Let's be off, then," announced Mick. "Better a bit early than late I always say."  
It was 12:20 when they made it to the prime minister's office. Carol popped up when the entered and asked them to follow her. "We have a meeting room down the hall. That should give us a bit more room for lunch and Trevor. If I know him, he will have a thick pile of things to look at for you."  
The people with the lunch were just finishing dropping it off as they entered. It didn't look like anything too fancy. There were seven boxes, one per person, a cooler with cold drinks, coffee and a basket with some fruit.  
They were all selecting a seat when the door opened, and Trevor appeared with the expected armload of materials. Harry, Ron and Ginny looked at each other and smiled. He kind of reminded them of Hermione coming back from the library with a 'little' something to read.  
Trevor sat the pile down on the end of the table and poured himself a coffee. "Don't be bashful, mates. Go ahead and start eating. John will probably be along in a minute or two. He's fine if you start."  
They hesitated a moment, then decided it was okay. Inside the box was a salad resembling a Caesar Salad with something red sprinkled on it. There was also a sandwich which proved to be turkey and a nice pickle. They all took a drink from the cooler. It was called ginger beer with a notation that it was non-alcoholic. Just then the door opened and in walked the prime minister.  
"Excellent," he said. "Good to see you all, again. Glad you started eating. No reason to wait. We can take a few minutes and then we'll hear about what kind of news Trevor has for us. I am hoping it is good news."  
After a few minutes of uninterrupted eating, the prime minister asked Trevor to share what he had brought with everyone. Trevor stood up and began talking as he unpacked his data mountain.  
"I started out with a two-pronged search. First, I pulled a list of every dentist in Australia. Turns out there's almost seventeen thousand of the blighters. I organized it alphabetically. No reason to start out with other types of breakdowns. I found sixteen named Wilkins. None of them named Monica, but one is named Wendell. I searched him out and found him in Perth. Unfortunately, he is almost seventy and has been practicing there since he got out of the navy in 1965. So I gave up on the searching dentists. Now I caution you that this does not mean they are not here. It just means they are not practicing, or not yet practicing. I have an alert set to tell me any new dentists opening up from now on. I will keep an eye on that."  
Trevor picked up the pile that apparently represented his dentist search on moved it off the table and then pulled up another data pile. "So, I then started searching the general population. There's about twenty-four million folks living here. The number of Wilkins is quite sizable. Again, I stuck to an alphabetical listing. I found sixteen whose first name is Wendell and another dozen whose middle name is Wendell. I found nineteen named Monica and only two with the middle name Monica. This includes spelling variations of both names such as Wendel, Windell, Wendill as well as Monika and Monnica."  
Speaking first to the twenty-six Wendells, eleven are deceased, the latest three years ago. Six are pensioners, so far too old. Three are minors. That left us six to investigate further. One of them has been incarcerated for over twenty years. Pretty nasty bloke. Two are of African lineage. That leaves us three. The total readout on them is they were all born here, one in Sydney, one in Melbourne and the other in Adelaide. So, I am at an end of simple searchables for Wendell Wilkins in Australia."  
"Moving onto Monica Wilkins," he said, picking up another packet of data. "We have a total of twenty-one. Eight are deceased, the latest in 1988. Four are pensioners. Four are minors. That leaves us with five. One is of African lineage. Three of the remaining four where born and raised here, one in Wagga Wagga, one in Alice Springs and the other is unknown but is listed as 1941, making her too old at 57 years of age. I did double check on her and she was married in 1964 and has three children and a husband of thirty-five years according to all data. That leaves only one. She is 45 years of age, so right in the proper range, and listed as married, but the data on her husband seems to be missing. We located her in Newcastle. I made a call to an associate there and he managed to get a picture of her and messaged it to me.  
Hermione had started to get a sinking feeling that was threatening to ruin the upbeat mood of the past day. This gave her a sudden last ray of hope in the otherwise dismal news. "Let me pop it up on the overhead screen", said Trevor, pushing buttons on a console to bring the screen to life, then he pushed another button and a picture suddenly flashed up. It was an attractive woman with black hair and pretty face, but it was definitely not Hermione's mother. Hermione's head fell on her arms, which were resting on the table. Ron and Ginny, who were seated on opposite sides of her, quickly put their arms around her back.  
The prime minister, who had been quietly listening stood up and said, "Is this all you have, Trevor? It is not very encouraging."  
"I am sorry, sir. It is all I have for now," came the answer. "I have other avenues of search, but they may take a couple days. I can examine the entire UK database. Maybe they are elsewhere. I can get into databases in other places. I just need more time."  
The prime minister looked directly to Hermione, who was once again sitting upright. "I am very sorry, Hermione. I was hoping for good news. Trevor is very thorough. I think we need to give him more time to search. If anyone can find them, my money is on him. Once again, I am sorry."  
Everyone, even Mick looked devastated by the information just shared. Harry looked up at Mick and said, "What do we do, now? Where do we go from here? We certainly can't just give up?  
"You're right, Harry. No one is ready to give up. I think we have to go back to Hallow House and give Trevor more time to dig deeper."  
"Okay," said Harry, rising. "Let's go back. We can talk more later."  
"You know the emergency contact system we devised, John," Mick said to the prime minister. "I know this isn't exactly what it was set up for, but please use it the second you have any information."  
"Yes, of course, Mick," said the prime minister. "The very second I hear anything.  
They all got up and thanked the prime minister and Trevor. As they were exiting the room they could hear the prime minister giving Trevor a no stone unturned talk. He seemed quite committed to helping.


	19. Ain’t No Sunshine  (when they’re gone)

The days passed like kidney stones, each more painful than the last with no apparent hope for impending relief. With each passing, you could see Hermione's mood deteriorating. And the funk was, understandably, contagious. Ron moped around like it was examination week at Hogwarts, and Snape's final was next up to bat. Harry and Ginny were also looking downcast. Even a session of snogging failed to noticeably lift their spirits. Mick, who would come by occasionally to check on them, even seemed depressed.  
They were just gathered and heading over to lunch, even though none of them had much of an appetite when they saw Mick coming their way. "The prime minister just messaged me," said Mick in an upbeat voice above his normal cheery disposition. "It must be important, or he wouldn't have used our emergency contact system. I think we need to head there straight away."  
Being the first word in what seemed like an eternity, the mood of everyone jumped up a few notches. Grab your gear and I'll get the portkey," he said with a sense of urgency to his voice. "One of you can grab some quick snacks if your hurry."  
Less than five minutes later they were reassembled around the portkey, the crumbs from some hurriedly scarfed down snacks littering their faces and clothes. With a whoosh they were on their way to what they hoped was good news. The prime minister would not have messaged them this way for some willy-nilly reason, or it was bad news. He had a good feeling.  
When the portkey finally delivered them to the now familiar hiding spot in the woods everyone quickly dusted each other off so they would look presentable. Mick stashed the portkey and popped open a hopperloo. "Here's to good luck," he cheered, hoisting the bottle high, and then taking a drink. All of the others did the same with Hermione getting the last swallow of the drink.  
They covered the distance to the entrance of the Parliament House in half their usual time. Mick excused himself from his normal friendly chitchat with the security guards as they hurried forward on their mission. Carol jumped up and met them as they entered the prime minister's office. "We're going down to the meeting room we used last time," she said, directing them down the hall. "John is locked up in a meeting. He may join you later."  
Trevor was already waiting for them, half hidden behind a mountain of papers. "Ah, there you are," he smiled. "Brought all of my work since your last meeting with me. Didn't want you to think I'd been slacking."  
"Not a chance," said Mick. "Your reputation is beyond reproach, mate."  
"Well, grab a seat and we'll get started. There is a lot of stuff here."  
None of them really wanted to sit. They were too keyed up, on edge. They were ready to hear something good.  
"I have searched the world looking for evidence of them. I found a slew more of Wendell and Monica Wilkins's. Tracked through all of them the same as before. And like before, I kept finding dry holes. The few close ones got an eyes on look and pictures. None of them matched. Needless to say, I was getting a bit frustrated," he continued.  
"I hope this is heading toward good news," said Mick, getting a bit antsy.  
"I have searched ins and outs of every country in the whole empire. I have searched the entire European Union. I did the US, backdoored in and checked Russia and China. Did Africa and South America. I can state unequivocally that Wendell and Monica Wilkins have never crossed a border in the past year. I was not even sure if they existed.  
"Okay, Trevor. Can't you see Hermione is getting anxious?" interrupted Mick, trying to hide his own anxiety. "Let's be out with it."  
"Hang on," replied Trevor. "Hang on. Like I was alluding to, I do not deal well with failure. Quit is not in my vocabulary. I started making wacky searches. The kind you make after a few beers kind of searches. Then BANG! I got a solid hit. It felt different than anything before. And there it was. Wendell and Monica Wilkins never crossed a border, ever. BUT! Alan and Jeannine Granger did. Twice. They came here once during the holidays and again in the winter.  
"OHMYGOD!" screamed Hermione, jumping to her feet while everyone else nearly tipped over their chairs due to the sudden outburst. "OHMYGOD!"  
"What is it, Mione?" Ron asked as everyone stared at her,  
Hermione's head sunk down onto her breast. "It's all my fault," she gasped, starting to cry. It's all my fault. I was in a panic. There wasn't enough time. I couldn't think straight. I…". By now Ginny was holding her, one arm around her and the other on her shoulder. Hermione was shaking and jerking in sorrow.  
'…Stop, Hermione. Breathe," said Ginny. "Try to relax."  
Hermione listened to Ginny and started taking deep breaths. She stopped shaking. Her spasms slowly quit.  
"There," said Ginny in a soothing voice. "Tell us what is wrong."  
Hermione took another deep breath and started speaking. "It was all happening so fast when we decided to leave. My parents had gone to Australia a few months earlier and had a good time. I decided that is where they should go. But there wasn't enough time to make a plan. I got panicky and confused. I had already used the memory charm. Then I realized Wendell and Monica didn't have passports or visas. How could they go? Then I remember that my parents did. I used a confundus charm to make them think they were Alan and Jeannine. It would break when they exited the airport in Sydney. Then I used another one to fix it so they would throw away their passports and become Wendell and Monica, again. I made another to make them believe they had lost all of their belongings except for their luggage. And finally, I made them want to immigrate and find work as dentists."  
The group was lucky that Mick was ahead of them on this one. They had gotten so wrapped up in Hermione's revelation that they forgot she was talking magic in front of a muggle. Mick had an agreement with John from a couple of previous situations that if need be, things could be talked in front of Carol, Trevor and a couple others. He had full faith in their discreetness but also supported having their memories altered in the event of necessity.  
Bloody hell," moaned Ron, who was now standing beside her, holding her hands. 'No wonder we couldn't find them."  
"So, where are they, then?" asked Harry, cutting to the chase.  
Then Ginny interrupted saying," We just talked magic in front of a muggle."  
The group froze, looking at Mick. "No worries, mates. We're okay," assured Mick. "Trevor here has a bit of a secret. Only the two of us know it. No one else, not even John or Carol know. Do you want to go ahead and tell them, Trevor?"  
"Okay. Sure, I guess. Why not?" he said. "Have you folks met Eloise Wood back at Harrow House?  
"Yes, yes," came the answers. "Spoke with her at breakfast this morning. Nice lady."  
"Well, that's my mum. I'm a squib."  
You could hear a pin drop for a minute, then some gasps of relief.  
"Now Trevor, where are they?" asked Mick.  
"We don't know, yet. BUT and it is a big but, we know they are here. It is just that they more or less dropped off the grid after they passed customs. It must be those charms you were talking about."  
Everyone was in a bit of confusion. They know they are here, so they should be happy. But they don't know where they are, so they should be worried. And as yet they don't have a plan to find them, so they are feeling lost.  
"What is our next step?" asked Ginny. "What do we do next?"  
Just then John entered the room. "Hello, all. Catch me up. What is happening?"  
Mick and Trevor brought the prime minister up to date. "Do we have a plan to proceed then, Trevor?" he asked.  
"We were about to ask your ideas," replied Mick. "I think you would be the one of us with the most knowledge of options."  
"Are we really at a loss for search options, then? Aren't there more avenues to explore?"  
"I really think we are at the end of the line for what I can do. We need to expand things," replied Trevor, sounding exasperated.  
"So, are you thinking what I am?" asked the prime minister.  
"Go public?" asked Trevor.  
"Yes, that may be our only remaining option," said John, turning to the group. "I am proposing we go on television and the radio soliciting aid from the public in finding them. We do such things on occasions for missing people, fugitives and the like. What do you think?"  
Everyone looked to Hermione. "They're your parents, Hermione," said Harry. "What do you think? I think this is your decision."  
"Yes, your decision, Mione," said Ron, putting his arm around her.  
Hermione gave it a good minute of thought before speaking. "Do things this can really work, John?" she asked.  
"This type of search has a pretty good success rate," replied John.  
"Then yes, let's do it. I am willing to try anything that can work."  
"Okay then," said John. "Trevor, get with Carol and have the media people get something ready as soon as possible. I will take a look at it in the morning. If I like it, then we go public."  
"This is a big deal," Mick said to Hermione and the rest. "Everyone with a telly is going to know their faces. This might really work."  
"I think this is all we can do, today," said John. "Watch for things to happen on the television by tomorrow afternoon.  
Let's head out folks," said Mick. "We can go somewhere with a television tomorrow. I know a place."


	20. Is There Anybody Out There?

The group woke up with a new sense of hope. The people at breakfast were just as excited as they were about the long-awaited good news event. Mick joined them as they chatted with some of the others. 'Things are looking up, he told Travers Rabnott. We going to Crackenback later to see Dongus and his wife. They have a muggle television. We are going to get a look at the advertisement."  
"Fantastic," he said. "Maybe you folks can get an end to this thing and you can get back home. You must miss normal by now."  
"Been so long since we saw normal that we probably wouldn't recognize it," said Harry.  
"Yeah," agreed Ron. "Normal would be pretty strange, Might not like it," he chuckled.  
"I'd like to give it a try," said Ginny.  
"Me too," said Hermione softly.  
"Well, let's hope for the best," said Travers with a cheerful note to his comment.  
Everyone shook their heads in agreement.  
"I fancy a soak in the spa before we go," announced Mick with a clap of his hands as he rose. "No need to get over to old Dongus' place too early. I expect that it will be the middle of the afternoon before there's a chance of seeing anything."  
"Right," said Harry. "Maybe a little morning soak would be nice. Let's all go."  
"Okay," agreed Hermione, sounding a little disappointed. "I imagine he is right. No reason to rush."  
"Fine enough then," said Ron. "Although I am keen on going there. I've never really gotten to watch a television before. Kind of looking forward to it, really."  
Me too," added Ginny. "I have seen them when I have passed stores in London, but this will be a first."  
The group returned to their rooms and changed for the spa. Ron was long past his fear of communal bathing. He liked it, now, even looked forward to it. Snogging in the hot water was kind of exciting. There was more bare skin and everyone was slippery, unlike when you are just sitting on a couch or something.  
They finished their long, luxurious spa session with a walk in the gardens where they found time for a little comparative snogging. They all felt the spa was the best, but it was all good. None found any reason to complain in the least.  
Hermione, as one might imagine, was the first to mention getting ready to go. She suggested they go change and prepare for lunch. She expected Mick to take lunch before they departed. He had told them he was going to prepare a portkey as they exited the spa. "Too bad we haven't been there in the past," he said. "We could apparate there in nothing flat. Still, it is only a few minutes away. You'll like little old Dongus and Liselle. He's a funny bloke and she puts up with him."  
They all chuckled at his final remark. This might be fun, which would be a little bonus tacked onto the reason for going. One could only hope.  
"Well, we best be going," declared Mick as the finished lunch. "Ol' Dongus will be expecting us. I popped over there last night to talk to him. He is excited about the notion of meeting some new people, especially when one of them is Harry Potter. As you probably have figured out, you are famous, even all the way over here."  
"I suppose so," said Harry, trying to sound humble, managing to at least sound a little embarrassed.  
"Okay, I will meet you all out front in five minutes."  
They all gathered in their regular portkey spot. Mick appeared a couple moments later carrying a long-handled garden rake.  
"Grab on and we'll be off," said Mick. They liked this portkey. No need to get on the ground and the long handle made for easy, non-crowded transport. A whoosh later they were on their way.  
The trip to Crackenback did not take long at all, maybe 10 minutes. If they were traveling by conventional muggle means, such as a motor car, it would have taken hours. First, it would have been a lengthy walk to the nearest place they could have gotten a vehicle to Hallow House. Then it would have been a very long drive down and around the mountains and back up the eastern side to Crackenback. Magic travel was good.  
They landed on a hillside near some trees. There was a building that looked like an inn a short way off. Further off was a body of water with several newer looking buildings surrounding it. The landscape was open with mostly solitary trees and clumps of low brush. The brownish, green vegetation was short, easy to walk over. A little skim of snow lingered in the shadows of the trees indicating that there had been a flurry or two overnight. The group was glad they had dressed warmly as they watched the clouds of their frozen breath float in the calm air.  
"We need to remember there might well be muggles here. Most of Dongus' customers are muggles. There's a lot more of them than magic folks in these parts, and the missus likes to eat and go shopping on occasion. We'll likely be the only other magic folks in there."  
Walking down the hill, they came upon the back of the inn. Walking around front they found a few old, most worn out looking cars. The sign over the door said, Crackenback Inn. A lighted sign in the window said Cold Beer. Another sign in the opposing window said Good Eats. They walked up onto the porch and opened the door.  
"Hello, Dongus," hollered Mick. "How are ya?"  
"Well, glory be, Mick. It's good to see ya," came a boisterous reply from an older, gray-haired man in clean, but older clothes wearing a mostly white apron. "Liselle!" he yelled. "Come out and see whose here."  
A pleasant looking woman with bushy salt and pepper hair who looked like she was designed to be working in exactly this place came through the kitchen door. "Well, bless my soul. Mick. It has been a while. And you've brought friends. Who might they be?  
Dongus ushered all of them to a quiet table across the room from the curious locals, who had up until their entrance were all satisfied to be drinking some cold beers with some chips, playing darts and watching the big television that hung on the wall near the bar.  
Mick held his arm out in Harry's direction. "This here is Harry Potter."  
"Please to meet you, Mr. Potter," said Dongus.  
Likewise," agreed Liselle, then lowering her voice. "We know a fair bit about you, of course."  
"This is Harry's sweetheart, Ginny," said Mick.  
Ginny blushed as she shook their hands. It was the first time she had been referred to like that in public. She actually liked it a lot.  
Moving on, Mick introduced Ginny's brother, Ron, who was also Harry's best mate. And finally, "Ron's inamorata…errr…girlfriend, Miss Hermione Granger".  
Hermione snickered at the reference, which she, the eternal bookworm, understood. Ron looked a bit confused and embarrassed, not sure whether or not he had just been made sport of.  
"They are traveling through Australia on holiday. I offered to show them some of the better, more off the beaten path parts. Get them away from the cities for a while and enjoy some nature," claimed Mick for the benefit of the big ears across the room.  
"Well, this is certainly off the beaten path, mate," laughed Dongus,  
"But," said Mick. "It is one of the better parts." Liselle hit him with her towel and laughed at the notion.  
The locals quickly got bored with their chatting and returned to their previous activities. Liselle excused herself and went for drinks and snacks. Ron and Ginny fixated on watching the television. Fascinating device," declared Ron. "Dad would go off his trolley if he had this." Ron was already a bit off his.  
The rest of them chatted, watched the locals throwing darts and glanced back and forth at the television. It had a show on about Australian history and traditions presented in a modern, flashy manner. It was quite popular according to Dongus. Liselle always has it on when it is available. A lot of folks seem to like it.  
Liselle returned with the drinks and snacks. "Keep it quiet," she said, sitting the tray on the table. "Got you all a bit of hopperloo. We don't share it with the locals. They get the muggle stuff." She also had brought an assortment of crisps, nuts, pretzels, and her special homemade pickles.  
"What's the deal with this thing on the television," Ron asked Liselle, who had started watching it. "They're talking about witch doctors. Do they have special doctors for witches in Australia?"  
Mick started laughing before Liselle could answer. "No, mate. A witch doctor is a witch who is a doctor. Can be a man or a woman. They don't use the word wizard in these parts. Some folks put a lot of faith in their magical powers. Go to them for healing and help with problems. Most folks think they are frauds.  
"What do you think about them?" asked Ron.  
"Well, I don't put a lot of stock in them. I like our magic," he finished in a hushed tone. "Now Carol, back in the prime minister's offices, has been going on about them. She keeps trying to convince me to take you to see one. I told her she was being a bit daft," he chuckled.  
"So you don't think it would help?" asked Harry.  
"I think we got things working, now," was the reply. "Let's see where they go."  
The show ended and one of the locals hollered, "Okay, Liselle. Your bloody show is over. Can we turn on a game, now? Liselle walked over in a put-up huff and change the station to a game of Footie. The locals ordered more beers and sat down to watch.  
The group also got caught up in watching the game. They had never seen anything like it. "This is a crazy game, Harry," said Ron. "Not as good as quidditch, but a crazy game."  
"Yes," replied Harry. "Footie is a rough game. Can you imagine us and Malfoy…"  
Then it happened. The television flashed to the advertisements and there was John Howard with a small picture of Hermione's parents in the upper quarter of the screen. "This is John Howard, and I am coming to all of you today to ask your help. (the screen zoomed into a full shot of Hermione's parents) This is Alan and Jeannine Granger. They are tourists from England who came here on holiday a while back. They have gone missing and are presumed to be somewhere still in Australia, because no record of them leaving exists. Their family and friends, as well as myself, ask you to please contact the number below (which appeared in large numbers) if you have seen the Grangers or have knowledge of the whereabouts. Please call with any information. Thank you."  
There was a stunned silence from the group. Finally, Ron said, putting an arm around Hermione, who was a bit shaken. "That was bloody good. It has got to help."  
They watched some more of the game and then decided it was time to return to Hallow House. All they could do was wait to see if the ads work and Hermione's parents are found.


	21. Anticipation

Once again, the group found themselves captives, locked in limbo. Stuck like prisoners in a medieval oubliette. Waiting, waiting, waiting in the slowly slipping away anticipation of good news arriving…of their mission scoring a victory.  
With each passing day Hermione's mood, and therefore everyone's mood was collapsing at an ever-increasing rate. Like a snowball rolling downhill in an avalanche, the ever-growing funk gained more and more momentum in its relentless descent. But this time, Hermione's was especially bleak, as she seemed to be feeling the approach of having to surrender, to give in, give up, let this Voldemort of a problem conquer her world leaving her in the permanent state of having caused the problem, then failed to resolve it. No matter how hard they tried, no one was able to break through to her and share anything resembling a second of cheer.  
Hermione had taken to sitting in her room, reading from the bottomless pile of books in her bag. A whole day would pass with barely a sighting. It was a chore to just get her to eat. Ron, Ginny and Harry found themselves spending more and more time as a threesome unless Ron gave the two of them a little personal time.  
"Do you have any ideas, Harry?" asked Ron. "I am really worried about Hermione. I have never seen her like this. I am worried this pain will kill her."  
"I don't know, Ron. I wish I did. I wish this situation was like Voldemort and we could go face to face and fight. I feel the same helplessness as she does, as we all do. I just don't know."  
"What about a witch doctor?" said Ginny. "You remember. We saw them on the television at Dongus'. Mick said Carol was really pushing him to take us to see one."  
"I think it might be worth a shot," answered Harry. We've got nothing else to go on."  
"She won't go for it. She doesn't go in for that mystical stuff," groaned Ron. "You remember how she was in Trelawney's Divination class. Called Divination rubbish. Knocked old Trelawney's crystal ball on the floor. Stomped out of the room. Caused quite a scene, actually."  
"I get it, Ron. But it might be a last chance. Sometimes you have to take last chances, no matter how crazy they might be."  
"I agree, Harry," said Ginny in a doubting voice. "But I suppose we'll have to sell Mick on it, first. He doesn't seem too keen on it, either."  
"Okay," said Ron. "We'll talk to Mick when he returns from Canberra. We have to do something. We can't just sit and do nothing."  
The rest of the afternoon passed, and it was dinner time. Not without a large amount of coaxing and outright begging on Ron's part, did Hermione join them for dinner. Mick came in as they were finishing. When he went to get food instead of coming overbearing good news, Hermione excused herself and went back to her room.  
The threesome engaged Mick in small talk culminating in the suggestion of a soak in the spa. Ginny felt he might be more open to the idea of a witch doctor while in the relaxing waters. Mick said he could use a good soak.  
They met back at the spa a short while later. They had asked Hermione to join them, but she declined and they didn't press it, more or less hoping she would do just that.  
"This was a capital idea," said Mick, the hot, bubbly water soothing away the trials and tribulations of the day. "I wanted to talk to you without Hermione, anyway. She has had enough bad news. No use waving more around. I don't want to compound her guilt. First off, I was talking to Daedalus Diggle, I am sure you have chatted with him. He is a doctor and has some experience with memory spell problems and the like. I explained exactly what happened and he was most concerned."  
"I've seen things like this before," he told me. "She hit her parents with a spell that erased their memories, changed their names and sent them away. That can be manageable if the person making the hex is not malicious and perhaps even cares for them. That type of curse is quite often eliminated without undue damage. The problem is the confundus charms. Confundus charms can be like loose cannons on the deck of a ship in rough water."  
"He went on to tell me," said Mick. "In this situation, there are so many. One changed their names back, one made them change back again, one made them erase their tracks, and another urged them to find work and settle down. The last one made them understand, so to speak, why they have no documents. It is most likely the spells clashed with each other, fragmented and mixed. You are lucky to know they are here, in Australia. That is a victory. Once you find them, the problem will be to now find your way through the confundus mess. That is the mystery in front of you."  
Everyone groaned, feeling the weight, the challenge expand. It was right not to add this to Hermione's already enormous load of guilt and worry.  
"John told me that the number of leads is declining," continued Mick, "which is to be expected with any such effort like this. They are still researching everything that comes in, no matter how sketchy or far-fetched. Nothing has panned out. They will still continue the ads until at least the end of the month. No one wants to give up, but there is a time when…well, you know."  
"We were talking about just that this afternoon," said Ginny in her typical take action way. We know Carol has been pushing the idea of going to a witch doctor at you. You said that over at Dongus'. We…"  
"...Yes, she has," interrupted Mick. "She was doing it again this afternoon. She is a very persistent sort. A lot like Hermione in some ways."  
"Well," continued Ginny. "We are all thinking it might be a good idea. We have nothing to lose. And who knows? We really have nowhere else to go."  
"I think you are right," he conceded. "Where is Hermione at with this? Is she on board with it?"  
"No," said Ron. "And it might be a tough sell. She isn't very keen on this mystical stuff. Had a bit of a go with a Divination professor one time…"  
"…That's good," said Harry, cutting him short. "We've got to go talk to Hermione. No time to waste. This might take a bit of convincing."  
The three of them dried off and returned to their home. They got into some comfortable clothes. Harry and Ginny took the single chairs, leaving no option other than the couch for Ron and Hermione.  
Ron knocked on Hermione's door. "It's me, Mione. Can I come in?"  
"I'm not really dressed," she said, trying to put him off.  
"That's okay," he replied. "I don't mind. Can I come in?"  
"I mind, you twit," she replied curtly.  
"C'mon, Mione, you're hurting my feelings," he pleaded, using his I'm the victim card, a move that actually impressed Ginny and Harry. A few seconds later the door cracked open and he was admitted.  
"Well," said Harry. "He got in. I wasn't sure about that. Nice move on his part."  
"Let's see if he can get her out anytime soon," replied Ginny. "You know what it is like just to get her to go eat."  
"Yes, I do," moaned Harry.  
They sat, waiting in hope and anticipation for several minutes. Ginny moved over onto Harry's lap and they started snogging. Apparently, they got a little too into it as they were suddenly interrupted by a voice."  
"Excuse me," said Hermione a little indignantly. "Ronald has informed me that the three of you would like to talk with me about something."  
Ginny hopped up, blushing a bit as she moved back to the other chair. Harry shuffled a bit, getting into a more presentable sitting position. Ron stood quietly beside her, staying out of the line of fire.  
'Please, have a seat," said Ginny.  
"I'm okay," she replied.  
"C'mon, Mione," said Ron, taking her hand as he sat down on the couch.  
"Oh, very well," she said like she was being asked to taste something disgusting looking that a friend had made, and was very proud of.  
Harry and Ginny looked at each other, wondering who should start the conversation, and how one might do it. Ginny, always the least patient of the four looked at Hermione and said, "We have decided we want to do something, and we want you to be part of it."  
"What might that be may I ask?"  
"We were talking about the day at Dongus' and that show we were watching on the television," Ginny continued.  
"You mean that game with the men kicking and running with that weird ball?"  
"No, not that…"  
"Then I don't remember it. You'll have to refresh my memory."  
Harry and Ron sat quietly. They were happy Ginny had gotten her talking. They didn't want to foul things up by injecting themselves into the conversation.  
'It was a show about Australia. They were featuring unusual folk practices."  
"I guess I wasn't paying attention to it. Just go on then." Hermione was less than receptive, but at least she was not trying to leave.  
"They were talking about healers and witch doctors. I found it quite interesting," which was not entirely true, but not a lie. "I convinced the boys that we should find one and go see them."  
"Is that what this is about?" said Hermione, her ready to get up and go back into her hermitage face starting to appear. "You want to waste our time talking to some crackpot, Australian version of Sybil Trelawney? You are barmy"  
Ron sensed she might be ready to bolt. He took her hand and said, "Give her a minute, Mione. We didn't want to do it, either. But she convinced us."  
"Well, go on, then," she said with an exasperated exhale.  
"I thought they were nutters, too, but I was thinking, Trelawney did have her moments of brilliance. She made the prophecy about Harry. She saw the Grim and Sirius coming. And she saw Peter Pettigrew's escape. There might be some bit of magic in her crazy behavior. Maybe it is mostly rubbish, but those few bits that weren't were really valuable."  
"I don't know. It has no science in it, just a bunch of wooly hocus pocus."  
"Okay. I won't debate that with you. But I am just saying if one bit of that hocus pocus gave up a clue to your parent's whereabouts, then what? Then what would you think?"  
"Well, if I thought maybe there was any chance at all I would be the first to want to go, but really, I think it would be a giant waste of time."  
"Well, said Harry," finally daring to speak up. "Time is something we have an abundance of at the moment. We have more than enough. Some of it might do well with being wasted. Better than what we have been doing the past few days with it."  
Hermione looked at Harry with an expression that said she had nothing to argue against his point. "I…"  
"…And if there is just one chance," said Ron, cutting in over her. "Just one chance in all the world, we should take it. We beat Voldemort because we took chances, never gave up. I say we have to do this. If we don't…well…"  
"Okay, Ronald," said Hermione, mercifully, although she didn't know it, cutting him off. He had run out of what to say and was about to stammer in a way that could have been counterproductive. "Okay, if it means that much to the lot of you, I will go along with you. But I still think we will be wasting our time."  
"Good," said Harry. "Let's waste some time, then."


	22. Time for a Hail Mary

Harry and Ginny managed to track down Mick first thing in the morning. Ron informed him of the success of their talk with Hermione. They wanted to know how to find a witch doctor, now that they had gotten Hermione's consent. They wanted to move quickly, before she changed her mind and backed out.  
Ron brought Hermione down to breakfast where Mick informed everyone he was leaving to see Carol as soon as they finished eating. He could apparate on his trips alone, so it wasn't as involved as when the group went. Ginny demanded he take her a nice present as well. "She is a bit sweet on you, ya know."  
"Okay, I'll stop and get her a chocolate bar or something."  
Ginny, and even Hermione gave him the really eyes.  
"What?" said Mick.  
"Why don't you try some flowers for a change, instead of a candy bar?" said Ginny. "As good as you are with politicians and the lot, you really are quite dim about the ladies." That actually managed to get a smirky grin out of Hermione. It was the first visible crack in the Granger stone wall in days.  
Mick had an exasperated look on his face that he shared with Harry and Ron. They returned a 'you better listen and do as your told face' that told him to buck up and do it. It was kind of a blow to him. He had always thought he was pretty smooth around the ladies. Now it seemed to be his turn to get some schooling.  
"Okay, flowers it is," he said. "Uh what kind…I…"  
Ginny and Hermione gave him more of the eyes.  
"Roses it is, then."  
"Good boy," chuckled Ginny. The rest of the group, including Hermione had to laugh at how Ginny was taking him to school.  
"Glad she's your girlfriend," said Ron. "I…uh…mean she's my sister and all…but…I'm just saying and all, you know."  
Harry understood fully. He glanced at the girls who just gave him an "I hope you just learned something Sonny Jim. You had best be planning something nice for us at your first opportunity, there will be a test later" look. Ron, who was his frequently oblivious self, would be glad later that Harry was taking notes in class. This would be just one more of the many times Harry had saved his masculine life without him having a clue as to what just happened.  
Mick disappeared into wherever it is you go between takeoff and landing when you apparate. All they could do for now was wait. They started with a walk through the gardens and ended up in the spa. They were committed to keeping Hermione from returning to her room, now that she was out. They had even brought her clothes and towels so she could change in the room at the spa.  
"This really feels great," said Ginny, leaning over against Harry. "I wonder if we can make one of these back home at The Burrows. I am going to miss this when it is over and we return home.  
"I like it, too," remarked Ron.  
"You know," said Ginny with a wry smile hinting there was something more to what she was about to say. "This one was made by these folks. In a way, I like the natural one back at Mahoutokoro a bit better."  
"Ron jumped a bit and turned a little redder than normal. "Are you barmy, Ginny? I'm definitely going to talk to mom and dad about you when we get back."  
Even Hermione could not avoid a good laugh at Ron's expense by Ginny.  
"You're all a bunch of nutters," said Ron, crossing his arms and moving a few inches away from Hermione, who had actually been starting to drop her wall of solitary behavior.  
Mick made it back just as they exited the spa area. He had not spent an exceptionally long time in Canberra. It could be assumed he had only met with Carol. Perhaps John and Trevor were otherwise occupied.  
They went back to the groups quarters, where Mick waited in one of the chairs until they changed and had all gathered in the sitting room. Ginny was the last to reappear. "Well, out with it, already," she said with a firm, assertive tone that took the rest slightly aback.  
"Well, I talked to Carol about witch doctors…"  
Ginny cut him off. "…Not that you twit. What did you buy her?"  
The others sat back. "Here we go," whispered Ron to Harry."  
"Ssssshhh," he replied.  
I got her a dozen roses and…"  
"…What color?" asked Ginny, now taking on the role of judge, jury and executioner.  
"They had some nice red ones, so I got them…"  
"…Good job," said Ginny, looking over to Hermione, who smiled back at her.  
"And I got her a box of the chocolates she likes, a bigger size than usual, actually."  
"Excellent. You did well," said professor Weasley. "How did she react?  
"Well, I started trying to tell her they were your idea. That they were from you. But she jumped up and hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. That sort of scotched that. So, I just started inquiring about witch doctors."  
"How did that go?" asked Ron.  
She got me a bunch of information off the computer. Amazing thing those computers. They know almost as much as Hermione, here," he chuckled. She looked at him with raised eyebrows and wide-open eyes. "From what she found, it looks like the place to go is Oenpelli up in the Northern Territory. They have some famous ones up there."  
"Great," said Ron. "Where is it and how do we get there?"  
"Do you remember when you flew here on the petrels from Mahoutokoro?" Everyone nodded yes. "When you first came over Australia on the northern coast you practically flew right over it."  
So, are you going to make a portkey, then?" asked Ginny.  
"Yes, I will make one tonight. We can go in the morning. I'll get a couch or something from the storage area. It will be a long flight. We may as well be comfortable on the way."  
With the plan set, Mick excused himself to go prepare the portkey for the morning. The mood in the room was better than it had been in several days. Even though they might be going on a fool's mission, at least they were doing something. That in and of itself felt good.  
Ron and Harry played a game of wizard's chess while Ginny sat with her arm around Harry, poking him when he made a bad move. Hermione still termed the game barbaric, and went to her room to get a book. The others were quietly happy when she came back out to read in a nearby chair.  
The game ended rather quickly with Ron winning, as usual. There was still a while before dinner, so they still had some time to kill. Harry got up and strolled toward the door. "Ron, come here. I want to ask you something. The girls had their backs to them, so it was easy for Harry to quickly grab Ron's and his jackets.  
As soon as they got outside Harry said, "Take my arm."  
"What?" replied Ron, thinking Harry was slipping off his trolley.  
"Just take my arm," Harry commanded.  
Ron raised his hand and put it on Harry's extended arm. They disappeared into the space between space.  
A moment later the reappeared, this time at their hiding spot in Canberra. "Follow me," urged Harry. "We don't have a lot of time."  
"What are we doing?" asked Ron, confused but obeying.  
"You'll see. Just hurry." Harry hustled then to the area near the offices where vendors sold a wide variety of things.  
Walking up to a young lady with bundles of fresh flowers, he said, "Let me have your best dozen roses," as he glanced at Ron.  
Ron stood there like a post on the side of the road for a few seconds, then said, "I'd like the same." Harry pulled out his muggle money that Hermione had given to everyone after Mick had shown her how to exchange a couple of her gold galleons at a jewelry shop. He paid for the roses and started walking toward more of the vendors. They purchase two boxes of sweets and a couple very nice, very warm scarves before Harry said, "There, that should do it."  
"Do what?" asked Ron, his light still not fully lit.  
"Save our lives," said Harry. You heard the girls. "You weren't paying attention, were you?"  
Ron gave him a bit of a blank stare. "When they were getting on to Mick about Carol," said Harry, "it was pretty obvious that they were expecting us to be listening and step up, as well. Now, we have to get back before they realize we are missing."  
They found a small, hidden spot, behind the carts. In a blink, they were standing outside the shield wall in the spot where they always used for returns to Hallow House. Mick had shown them how to get through the wall a while ago, just in case the need arose. Harry waved his wand and they were back inside.  
They stashed the goods, along with their jackets outside and walked back in. "Are you ready for dinner, girls," asked Ron. Harry had sorted him out on how they would do this. They got up and started toward the door. "Oh, I need to go to my room for a minute. Go ahead and we'll meet you."  
The girls left. "They're acting rather odd," said Ginny.  
"They are always acting odd," grinned Hermione.  
Harry and Ron quickly retrieved the goods and their jackets as the girls crossed over to the dining area. The arranged the scarves in neat rings with the sweets inside and the flowers tastefully angled on top of them. The trap was set. Having completed their deception, they hurried to catch up with the girls.  
They entered the hall just as the girls were sitting down with their food and drinks. They gathered up their meal and made the way to them. "Here we are," said Ron, sitting down next to Hermione. "Did you miss us?"  
"Didn't know you were gone, actually," replied Hermione with a raised eyebrow head flip and a sly grin to Ginny, who giggled a bit.  
"Always the jokers, our girlfriends," said Harry. Whatever have we done to deserve them."  
"Just lucky, I guess, mate."  
"More than lucky," said Ginny, taking her turn on the firing line. "You're lucky we put up with you nutters. We could have rich boyfriends like Malfoy or McClaggen, if we had a mind to."  
The blade cut deep, but both of them tried not to react. Harry just reached over to put his arm around Ginny and give her a hug. Ron, actually paying attention, gave Hermione a nice hug.  
They chatted a bit about tomorrow as they enjoyed a masterpiece of elven meal making. "I think we should make an early night of it," suggested Harry. "We have a big day ahead of us in the morning." There was a general agreement as they all got up and headed back to their home.  
Ron and Harry dallied behind, ensuring the girls would be the first back in. They opened the door, not expecting anything more than to be re-entering their place. Then Hermione and Ginny froze in their tracks causing Ron and Harry to almost crash into them.  
What is this may I ask, Ronald?" asked Hermione, trying to stay cool when she wanted to burst like a Weasley Wizard Wheezes Whizzle Cracker.  
"Yes, what is this?" echoed Ginny, also fighting to restrain herself.  
"What are you talking about?" asked Harry, not falling for their false façade as he poked Ron.  
"Yeah, what's what?" queried Ron.  
The girls had lost the game. They surrendered, lunging into the arms of the boys and covering them with lipstick marks.  
After a moment they turned to the gifts. "Which is which?" asked Ginny. "Which one is mine?"  
"You have to guess," replied Harry in a moment of brilliance that even impressed him.  
She looked for a few seconds and pointed to the scarf with the blues. "I think this is mine," she said.  
"Yes," said Hermione. "I think that one is yours. The colors go so well with your hair and complexion. This must be mine."  
They turned back to the boys. "Our girlfriends, always the geniuses. We can never fool them," said Harry with a nod to Ron.  
"I know," agreed Ron. "Foolish to even try." He grinned at Harry like they had both just caught the snitch and won the game for Gryffindor.  
The girls busied themselves sampling their sweets while arranging their flowers in some vases they found in a cupboard. Harry and Ron sat back and quietly congratulated themselves on pulling off the perfect charade.  
"So, what's the occasion? Whose idea was this?" inquired Ginny as they placed the now delightfully arranged flowers on the table near the couch.  
"Both of ours," said Harry, nudging Ron.  
"Yeah, both of ours," stumbled Ron as he covered Harry's little white lie. "Can't a bloke just do something nice without getting Umbridged?"  
It was Harry's turn to tip a mental hat to Ron for a brilliant answer. Later that evening the snogging was most exceptionally above average.


	23. Ooo eee ooo ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang

The morning started much like most mornings while at Hallow House. They arose and got themselves dressed for the day, and then went to breakfast where they would usually find moments to chat with various other residents. This day was a bit different. They were back to the search, and that meant traveling. They were decidedly upbeat.  
They finished eating and went outside to see if Mick had the portkey to Oenpelli ready for flight. When Mick saw them from across the courtyard he hollered to Ron and Harry to give him a hand moving what appeared to be a comfortable, old couch into the center for takeoff.  
"Got it out of the storage area earlier. It's a bit bulky, so I appreciate the help."  
"I always wondered about these other buildings. I never see anyone using them," noted Ron.  
No mystery to them, even though they are closed up. The first one is the school, but there aren't any children around here, so it's vacant. That one is a big dance hall. We haven't had any dances in a while. But maybe we will open it up when we solve this thing and you are heading home with Hermione's folks," said Mick as they hauled the couch into position. "That's the medical facility. No one has been hurt in a while, so it's closed. You met our doctors inside, but I am not sure they ever introduced themselves as that. Probably should do that. The last one was for animals like horse and the like. We had some, but they're all gone, now."  
Everyone got comfortable. Then whoosh, they were on their way to see a witch doctor. Who back home would ever believe that. Probably would make The Prophet.  
The trip was, as they had remembered it from the flight in on the petrels, out over a lot of remote, desolate land. It was hard to imagine how anything survived out there. But still, patches of life occurred now and again.  
Just as they were starting to get a good view of the ocean the portkey started its descent, landing in a quiet area adjacent to a small village. The coastal land was starting to get much lusher than the land they had flown over for the past few hours. Greenery covered the hills and ground. Some more modern looking buildings were visible in the distance.  
As they walked into the village they were greeted by a slim, very dark-skinned man with thick, black hair wearing sandals, short pants and an AC/DC t-shirt. "G'day. My name is Damon Dingo. What brings you to our village? It is not often we get visitors. We did not hear you arrive."  
"My name is Mick Nakatsuo. These are my friends, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley and Hermione Granger. We were dropped off a ways outside of town and have walked here," said Mick, taking the lead. "We come in search of a doctor. We hear you have some very special doctors here. But first, we would like a drink, if that is possible."  
A small group of other villagers had gathered behind Damon to get a look at the visitors. Damon led them back to a well where they all had a good drink of cool water.  
"So, Mick. What type of doctor do you seek that could bring you to us?" inquired Damon.  
"We come seeking help for Hermione. She has a problem that may only be solvable by your finest doctor. Can you arrange for us to see him? We will be most grateful," said Mick, hinting that some sort of fee might be in the offing.  
"Come," said Damon. "We will see Doctor Owen. He is very good."  
A moment later they found themselves at the door of another tall, slim man. He was old and wore a necklace with a flat stone in it. He introduced himself as Doctor Owen and asked what brought them to him. Mick explained their situation and he walked over to Hermione. Asking her to stand, he examined her, touching her many times with his flat stone amulet. He then made some odd gestures. Finally, he picked up several objects and touched them to her.  
"Oh, Mick," he finally said. "Your friend is in a most horrible way. I do not think I have the skills to solve this problem." This cast a sudden chill through the group. Had they traveled all this way to be cast aside so soon? "I think only Mother Matavan can help her. She is very old and tired these days. I cannot promise she will talk to you. She seldom sees people any longer. But, perhaps I can convince her," he said, hinting a bribe of some sort was expected.  
"You help will be greatly appreciated," said Mick. "We will treat your help very generously if you are successful. Hermione had produced three solid gold galleons like the one they had given Damon to introduce them to him. They gave him one with the promise of the other two if they were granted a visit.  
Doctor Owen left on foot. Damon stayed along with a couple others to tend to any needs of the group while he was gone. They provided them with water, some locally produced liquor with an 'interesting' flavor according to Ginny. Ron used another word to describe it. They were also offered snacks, many of which were still alive. They passed on most of them, claiming to still be full from an exceptionally large breakfast.  
More than an hour had passed when Owen reappeared. He cheerfully notified them that Mother Matavan would see them at a fire on the outside of town as the moon is rising. They gave Owen the other two galleons, with a promise to also treat Mother Matavan most generously for her help.  
There was a lot of day to pass before the sun would set. At least it was winter, so the days were shorter. It was also much warmer in the northern area. They enjoyed that change.  
Dr. Owen gathered them as the sun was dropping behind the hills to the west. "I think it is time," he insisted. "We can meet with Mother, now. Please follow me."  
He led them to a rocky area. A frail-looking, ancient woman in a strange, colorful wrap was poking a small, but robust fire, sending sparks into the air as she tossed unknown things into it while chanting. Her features were withered and stark on her black skin. She could not have weighed more than eighty pounds.  
"She could be Dumbledore's grandmother," whispered Ron.  
"Hush," said Ginny, suppressing a giggle. "If you muck this up, I'll…you don't want to know."


	24. Doctor, Doctor, Give Me the News

"Come," she said, not turning around. They were not even sure she had as yet seen them. "Come and we will learn and share, learn and heal."  
Owen left them, not wanting his presence to interfere with what would ensue. Mick took a seat back away from them, as well.  
As they stepped into the ring surrounding the fire, she extended a hand. "Stop," Her arm moved back and forth pointing a bony finger, hardly discernable in the dying light, at them. "Tell me your problem. Tell me your…" her arm stopped, a bony finger pointing directly at Hermione. "…problem."  
They all knew Owen could have told her which of the group had the problem bringing them to her, so they were yet to be impressed.  
"Step forward…Mione," she said. How did she know Hermione's nickname? No one had used it since coming there. It was highly unlikely she would know it as Hermione is not that common of a name, and even if she knew her name was Hermione, she might not use that nickname. There was a pause in the group.  
"Mione, you bring great pain and trouble to me. You wish me to help you solve it. Step closer so I can touch the trouble that pains you."  
Hermione reluctantly stepped closer, close enough that Mother Matavan took her right wrist with the dry, bony fingers of her left hand. The strength of her grip was surprisingly strong. She touched her in many places with her flat rock amulet. She then moved the bony fingers of her right hand up and down Hermione's arm, after which she touched her face and the whole of her head. "It is not here," she announced. She then moved her hand down, placing it directly over Hermione's heart, which made Hermione fairly uncomfortable.  
"IT IS HERE!" she said, loud enough to shock everyone. She released her hold on Hermione's wrist, leaving her other hand against Hermione's breast. She reached into a pouch on her side and pulled out something that caused a sparkling, crackling puff of smoke as she threw it into the fire.  
"You have a heart in your chest"…a great revelation they thought. "BUT! It is not yours"…now that is a bit weird. "Whose heart beats in your chest, Mione? We must find them."  
She once again pointed her bony fingers at the group, moving her arm back and forth until she stopped, pointing at Ron. "Step forward," she commanded. Ron reluctantly rose with pushes from Harry and Ginny. It was like the day he had to face the boggart in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Still, he moved forward until she grasped him and pulled him close enough to put her hand on his chest. "It is YOUR heart...Ronald. It is your heart that is beating in her breast. Now, whose heart is beating in yours?" She paused, throwing more sparkling smoke powder into the fire. Replacing hands on their respective breasts, she said. "You only have half of a heart, Ronald. But that half is from her. It is a shared love. You both are in love."  
Now it was out there for everyone to see. They weren't just boyfriend-girlfriend, they were in love.  
"But where is the rest of your heart, Mione? Ronald only has half of it. We must find the other half to solve this problem and end your pain. Sit Ronald. Sit!"  
Ron quickly went back and sat on a rock next to Harry and Ginny. "Whew," he gasped, looking to them.  
Mother Matavan touched her flat rock amulet to her forehead, her breast and lower abdomen. Then she pressed it to Hermione's head, breast and pubic region. "Now, tell me where you hid the other half of your heart" She raised her bony fingers to Hermione's face and began brushing across her cheeks, forehead and through her hair. They felt like dried twigs from a long dead tree, but there was also an electric feel to them.  
She turned and started moving her arm back and forth at Ron, Harry and Ginny. "Where do I look, Mione? Tell me where to look. Her arm stopped, a bony finger pointing at Harry. "Come, stand beside her," she commanded.  
Harry moved, almost like he was under the Imperious curse, to Hermione's side. Mother Matavan touched him in several places with her amulet before placing her hand over his heart. "Yes, yes. There is a strong heart inside you. The heart of a warrior, powerful like a tiger. Protective like the teeth of a mother crocodile. But full of pure love. A chaste, as yet unspoiled love. Delicate, like a flower. Fragile to a cold, unthinking hand. BUT WAIT!" she exclaimed, once again startling the group with an outburst. "This is not your heart. Whose heart is beating inside you…Harry?"  
She began moving her finger, pointing to all members of the group. "Whose heart is this? COME to me," she said, this time pointing at Ginny, the fire bursting upward, then just as quickly returning to its normal state, Ginny moved quickly to Harry's side. Mother Matavan started touching her all over with her amulet, then took her hand and placed it on Ginny's breast. She put her other on Harry's chest.  
"AH!" she exclaimed, "you are lovers. It is your heart…Ginevra. Your heart is inside Harry. And the heart inside you be…" Mother Matavan stopped and stepped back. She began touching her amulet to Ginny's breast over and over again. "The heart inside you has known great evil. It has dueled with a powerful demon. It has scars, deep scars from tragedies most cannot understand. It has great power but is fragile. It is protected by a shield, an ancient, protective shield of pure love…yes, a mother's love. It is that shield that guards it."  
She touched Ginny and herself many more times with her amulet. "It is YOUR heart inside her, Harry," she said, replacing her other hand on Harry's chest.  
"You must take good care of these hearts," she warned both of them. "You are both so young. Bearing the heart of another carries great responsibility for a lifetime. Sit down, Harry, Ginevra, Mione. I must talk to Mione's heart now. It is time to finds its other half."  
The three of them quickly moved back to their seats on the rocks. They were delighted and relieved to be out of the spotlight. Pointing a finger at Ron, she summoned him back to her. Ron had a face of desperation like he had been deserted, left in the dark forest for the werewolves.  
Mother Matavan grasped her amulet and pressed it to her forehead and breast several times. She then pressed it to Ron, holding it against his chest as she threw three handfuls of the sparkling smoke powder into the fire, causing a great cloud of sparks to rise high into the dark, starry sky until you could not separate star from spark with your eyes. "Reveal to us. Reveal your secrets" she spoke, as though talking right through Ron to the half of a heart inside him. "Where is the rest of you? Where has it gone? Where is it hiding? How can we find it? How can we end, the pain in Mione and make you whole once again?"  
Ron's face was grimacing as she continued. It was as if her bony hand had bored its way inside his chest and was clutching the heart, massaging it, trying to coax it to release what it knew. "Where are you? Why are you hiding? Reveal yourself to us," she intoned, this time calling out to the missing half of her heart. "Help us make you whole again. Tell us how to find you."  
Mother Matavan tipped her head back and began to chant in a guttural, undecipherable manner, almost as if she was howling at the moon or unseen spirits in the heavens. Harry, Ginny and Ron started staring up into the starry night sky. Nowhere they had ever been in their lives gave the level of darkness they found in this remote area of the Northern Territory on this nearly moonless night. The Milky Way literally glowed behind the regular star field with more stars than any human could count, even if they lived a thousand lifetimes.  
As they gazed, almost in a trance, Mother Matavan continued chanting. Then a startling flash of light caused them to all jump. The white streak of a meteor sped out of the northern sky, disappearing almost as fast as it had appeared in the south.  
"LOVE! You must seek LOVE!" screamed Mother Matavan, inducing another frightened jump on the part of all of them. "You must seek love. You must find love. You must go to love if you are to solve this problem."  
"Where?" blurted Ron involuntarily. Then realizing his mistake, he stood back stiffly.  
"Where, indeed," she said. "Where is this missing piece of Mione's heart? Where is the love you must seek?" She cast more powder into the fire, which responded with a cloud of sparkling smoke. Where must we look? What can we not see?" she asked, pressing her amulet against her forehead, and then against Ron's chest. "Tell us where you are."  
She started chanting again, this time for only a few seconds. "The heart is lost and confused," she breathed. "It does not know where it is. You must find it. It does not know how to find you."  
Mother Matavan threw more powder into the fire. She pressed her amulet against her breast as she walked to the three sitting on the rock. "Ask for guidance," she said, pressing the amulet against Hermione's breast.  
'Uh…show me where you are," said Hermione a bit at a loss for words. "Lead me to you. Give me guidance."  
She repeated herself with Harry and Ginny, each of them begging for help from the heart to find itself.  
She returned to the fire where Ron was standing, more or less scared to move. Placing her hand back on his chest, she said, "Ask. Ask with the piece of Mione's heart you carry for help making it whole."  
"Help me," began Ron, grimacing once again as if he was feeling the bony claw of her hand clutching Hermione's heart inside his chest. He spoke with great conviction. "Help me find you so I can be whole again. Help me find you so we can heal your family. Help me for Hermione. Help…"  
Hermione was also starting to writhe about as she sat in stunned silence. Then Mother Matavan raised her hand in a dramatic sweep upward against the stars and moon. A blood red aura glowed around it as Ron gasp, almost collapsing. "Ron," choked Hermione as she fell over against Harry, her mouth agape and her eyes frozen open. He caught her and pulled her close so he could support her.  
"The Devil! I see the Devil!" screamed Mother Matavan. "You must go to the home of the devil. When you find yourself in the devil's home, you will then be able to find the love you seek." Her hand swooped downward against Ron's chest. He leaped like he had been jolted by electricity. Hermione also was shocked back to reality. All she could do was look at Harry with a confused expression, surely wondering what had just occurred.  
With that, Mother Matavan collapsed down on the ground. "That is your answer," she said, sounding totally exhausted. "I can do no more. That is what you must do to find your lost parents. Go now, I must take a rest."  
Ron looked around, still reluctant to leave. Harry, Ginny and Hermione stood up. They looked at Ron, then into the dark background where Mick was now standing.  
"C'mon, mates," he said in a quiet, almost reverent voice while signaling them to come along. "I think we should go, now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw a show on TV that discussed the witch doctors in Oenpelli about the same time as I was starting this book, so I had some decent info when I decided to include a witch doctor in the story. Nice coincidence.


	25. Looking for Love (I`m looking here and there, I`m searching everywhere)

Doctor Owen was barely visible in the dark. If not for the glow of his cigarette, they might never have seen him. He rose as they neared him and started walking back in the direction they had come from what seemed like a lifetime ago.  
"Did you get your answers?" he asked. "Did she tell you the location of your parents?"  
"Not exactly," said Hermione, walking in a linked line with the others. Ron had an arm around her, she had hers around Ron and Harry, Harry had his around her and Ginny, and Ginny had an arm around him. "She gave us a puzzle. We have to decipher it to find out if it contains the answer. I don't know what to think. It is all so complicated. I am too exhausted to think. I need to rest."  
They walked back to the home of Doctor Owen, where they gave him the additional gold galleons. "How do we pay her?" asked Harry. "Is she going to be okay?"  
"I think she will be okay. I will go back to her after we finish here. But I never see her like this tonight. It is like she is possessed by some strange magic you bring here. Something very powerful happened this night. Maybe you witness a miracle of some sort. Maybe she will not want your gold."  
"Still, we must offer her payment," said Harry. Hermione began digging about in her bag. She produced a container of very fine quality green tea one of the students at Mahoutokoro had given one of them. She also produced a necklace with a rabbit's foot, a lucky Celtic talisman, and a shield knot as well as a druid luck charm dressed with mistletoe. "Give these to her, and these 5 galleons."  
Unseen to Doctor Owen, Harry waved his wand behind him whispering Imperio, ensuring it would be done.  
"Follow me," beckoned Mick. He had much more energy, not having been part of the proceeding. "We need to get to our ride home. We can sleep on the way."  
The four of them zombie walked behind Mick. They were never so happy to see an old couch in their lives when they finally found it. Harry and Ron flopped down hard against the opposing ends. Ginny and Hermione cuddled in tight to them, ready to pass out from the ordeal. Mick was then left with a generous middle portion on which to sprawl out. A whoosh later and they were aloft.  
They awoke with a start as the couch landed on the regular spot just outside the shield. It seemed like they had just taken off seconds ago. In reality, several hours had passed. "This is going to be a bugger to get back inside," said Mick. "I never thought about that before we left. I think we can leave it until tomorrow."  
The beds in their rooms felt wonderful as they collapsed on them. They could talk about what happened this evening tomorrow after they were fully rested in the morning. For now, it was time for a total shutdown of their brains.  
The next morning found Ron, uncharacteristically, as the first one up. By the time Harry and the girls appeared in the main room, Ron was already out the door eating breakfast. If not for the fact that he had left his door open, they would have fully expected he was still passed out, which would be closer to normal.  
They found him at breakfast sitting alone, eating at a prodigious plate of food. "Up already," said Harry as the approached him. "I see your appetite survived last night."  
"I'm really hungry. I hardly ate anything, yesterday. There was no way I was eating those creepy crawling things or drinking that dung water."  
Ginny laughed. "You're just not very adventurous, Ron."  
"I didn't see you eating any of those things."  
"Well, at least I tried a couple. You just chickened out."  
"That was a strange evening," said Harry, trying to get the conversation shifted onto the events at the fire. "It was really weird."  
"More like totally bloody scary," said Ron. "I would rather go back in Aragog's cave than go there again. I couldn't stop thinking about it after I woke up. I had to get up and come down here. I still feel boggled."  
"How about you, Hermione?" asked Ginny, looking at her. "What are your thoughts?"  
"Yes," said Harry. "I know you do not go in for divination and this sort of stuff. How do you explain last night? I am baffled by it."  
"I am baffled, as well," started Hermione, putting her hands on the table. "I tried to keep an open mind when we got there. And you know that was hard. I only went because it seemed so important to the rest of you. When Doctor Owen took us to Mother Matavan I figured that he probably told her I had the problem. They probably all work together. So, when she called me out, I was not impressed. It was just the opposite. I was ready to call her and her show a fake like I did Trelawney. Then…she called me Mione. Only Ron actually calls me that. How did she know that name? I must admit. I was startled."  
"Yeah," interjected Ron. "That bothered me, too."  
"Then she started in with that heart stuff and I was really not buying it until she calls out Ron by name. None of us were ever introduced. I was back to what is going on here. She spilled our love out. I wasn't even sure of it until I heard her say it and I knew it was true. It was the same when she talked about you two," she said, looking at Harry and Ginny. "I knew it, but never knew it. I did like the chaste part," she smirked, causing Ginny to blush. "She was starting to scare me a little. I think it was because she was beating my disbelief down in front of me. I was actually starting to believe her."  
"I was…" started Ron, but Ginny grabbed him and gave him a very stern look."  
"…Let her talk, Ron. Stop interrupting her."  
"Uh…right," Hermione began again. "The thing that got me the most was when she had Ron with her and she was pressing his chest and he was like in pain. I could feel her hand touching my heart. It was like at Hagrid's when we used the time turner and I hit you with that stone." Harry looked at her and nodded. "It was spooky. And…"  
"Bloody scary is more like it…" Ron felt a sharp jab in his side and turned to see Ginny glaring at him.  
"And then she started that chanting. I got some kind of weird feeling, sort of like I was immersed in a magic I knew nothing about, a dark magic, but a good magic. Does any of that make sense?"  
Ron sat quietly, fearing another jab or worse from Ginny. "Sort of," said Harry. "I think maybe it was like when Voldemort would enter my head and the two of us were competing for control."  
"Then that meteor goes over and she screamed LOVE! I don't know what happened. But something happened. Something outside normal. Outside regular magic. I felt it. I still don't know if I believe in divination and paranormal activities, but I know something happened last night. I just can't explain it."  
"The part where she was holding up her hand, just before she was talking about the devil," said Ginny. "It was like you and Ron were paralyzed or something. That was really scary. I know something was happening then."  
"I felt something, too," Harry admitted. "That was the scariest part of all, to me. I can't explain it, either. But something happened. We have to riddle out her words. I just feel the answer is in them. We just have to find it."  
"I agree with Harry," said Ginny, wrapping an arm around him and pulling him tight. "I definitely felt something."  
Hermione gave her a wry grin that caused her to pause, then she quipped, "Not that the two of you have ever…" Ginny pulled out her wand, which usually meant a bat-bogey curse was coming. Hermione lurched and started ducking. Then Ginny burst out laughing much to Hermione's relief. "There was a strange, eerie feeling in the air," she continued. "It was like the first time I saw magic. Almost like I had never really experienced real magic before. I was really terrified at the end."  
"Yeah," said Ron. "It was like you said. I really could feel it, her hand inside me. Then it was like she pulled my heart right out of me. I felt really weird, almost like I was dead. Now I've got to go on with only half a heart. How can I…"  
"…Oh, shut up, Ronald!" Hermione barked with a chuckle, delivering a swift punch on his shoulder. "Half of my heart is worth twice what I…well…just shut it."  
"Better listen, mate" Harry chuckled. "You might want to drop that thought. You're going to get into deep trouble if you keep it up."  
Ginny looked at Harry and smirked. "You best behave, too, or I might take mine away as well."  
Harry went silent, chin on his chest. He knew better than to press that barb. There was no way it could go well.  
Three days passed as they wrestled with Mother Matavan's cryptic puzzle. They all agreed that the love part was pretty straightforward. But no one could crack an idea of how one could simply go to the home of the devil.  
"I say we go to the spa and think in the hot bubbles," said Mick, who had slipped up behind them while they were sitting near the fish pond. After lunch, we should all go visit John. I have a meeting with him. We need to get updated on the efforts. Perhaps we can get some time with him."


	26. Grokking and Talking

The hot, steamy water with its roiling bubbles never felt better than it did this morning. The remainders of such an extreme event had a long shelf life, no matter how you viewed it. You didn't just take a sleep and wake up refreshed. It was more like recovering from a long illness, not a twenty-four-hour sniffle. They had traveled across the continent to a remote place. They had an unworldly experience that made horcruxes and Voldemort seem almost sane. And now, several days later, they were still at an impasse. This trip to Canberra might do them good.  
Mick met them after lunch in the center of the courtyard. They whooshed off, landing a little later in their regular spot. If portkeys were nothing else, they were predictable in the comes and goes, and the choice of routes…always a straight line.  
"This is a private meeting here first," said Mick. "Why don't you look around, visit some of the shops. I will be back in about two hours."  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" said Ginny, giving Mick, who turned back to look at her, the dead man walking eyes.  
"Ah, of course," he said. "Glad you reminded me. Getting a bit ahead of myself I was."  
Mick selected a decadent pastry from a cart and purchased a plant, instead of flowers. It was a touch that greatly impressed his professor.  
"He is learning," said Ginny, smiling to Hermione. "I told you men are like boys. They are trainable. You just have to stay at them a while."  
"Would you like to go look at clothes and shoes and stuff," queried Hermione to the boys.  
"Not bloody likely," shot back Ron without a second of wait time.  
"You go ahead," Harry said in total agreement with Ron. "We'll go and do…uh…look at manly stuff."  
The girls giggled as they walked away. "We still have more work with this lot," said Hermione.  
It didn't take much time before the guys ran out of things to look at. They walked into a coffee shop that proudly advertised FREE WIFI in letters bigger than the words about their regular offerings. They ordered a pair of cappuccinos, because that is what Hermione always ordered, and they did not want to sound stupid trying to order something new. A pair of girls, perhaps university students, were seated at the next table amusing themselves looking at a laptop computer.  
After a few sips of their drinks, they asked the girls what was so amusing. They said they were looking at things on the internet. "You can find anything on here if you put your mind to it."  
"We aren't really familiar with it," said Harry, sensing an opportunity to maybe learn something that might prove useful at a later date. "How do you use it?"  
The girls probably thought they were trying to hit on them, but they thought they were cute enough, so why not. "Come over here and have a look," said the one doing the typing.  
They got up and walked over where they had a good view of the screen. I'm Harry, and this is Ron."  
"Pleasure. I'm Sarah and this is Liz," said the one who had spoken before. Now, what would you like to see? Give me something to look for and I'll show how this all works."  
"I don't know. Anything. You pick something," said Harry at a loss.  
"C'mon," said Liz, giggling. "Just pick anything. It is all here."  
Harry had a sudden flash of inspiration. "Can you show us the home of the devil?  
"What's that?" said Sarah, not sure if she had heard him correctly."  
"You know, the devil," Harry repeated. "Can you show us his home? We are studying about him. We are looking for stuff."  
"Okay," said Sarah, amused by their choice. "Let's see what we can find."  
They found a lot of different stuff, much of it religious, about hell, hades, purgatory and various versions of the devil. None of it was of any use.  
"That is about it," Sarah said, sitting back. Maybe we should try something else. Something a little more fun."  
I suppose so," agreed Harry, accepting that their long-shot had failed. "Oh well, I had just thought he might have other homes than that one. I guess he is the only devil. Probably only needs the one."  
"Well, there are other devils," observed Sarah. "At least other kinds?"  
"What do you mean?" said Ron, breaking his silence. They were beginning to think that he might be a mute.  
"Let's see. Now we have something to actually search for," said Sarah, fingers going to work on the keyboard. "Look, here's a Giant Devil Dingo. Lives up on the Cape York Peninsula. Oh, but it's just a kid's book. Probably no value there."  
Harry made a mental note of the peninsula. It wasn't much, but it was a lead.  
Here's some sports teams in the United States. There's the New Jersey Devils. They play that crazy ice hockey game. And here's a couple universities, the Arizona Sun Devils and the Duke Blue Devils."  
"I have to try to remember them. I am sure Trevor can find them if these girls can do it."  
This plant here is called Devil's Snare. Lives in the UK.  
Harry and Ron winced. No problem to remember that one. They wanted to forget it.  
I found a Devil Ray and Devil Fish. They live out in the ocean. I guess their home is just the water. Same with this Red Devil Squid.  
"Here's a Devil's Food cake. Its home should be my tummy," Sarah giggled.  
"How about a Hickory Horned Devil or a Devil's Flower Mantis? They're just bugs, but kind of cool looking."  
Harry and Ron were getting bored. This was going nowhere. Then Sarah kind of shouted, "How'd we miss this one? Best one of the lot. The Tasmanian Devil. Used to live in all of Australia. Now it just lives down south out on Tasmania."  
Harry and Ron looked at each other. Their eyes were wide open. "I think that's it," blurted Harry.  
"Yeah! We gotta go. Nice meeting you," shouted Ron as they bolted out the door leaving the girls wondering what the heck had just happened.  
The two of them hurried back to the meeting point. It was just about time for Mick to arrive back when Harry and Ron spotted the girls walking their way. Both of them had new jumpers on. Hermione had some new shoes. They walked up to the bench where the boys were waiting patiently for them.  
"Looks like you did some shopping, got some new stuff," said Ron in a matter of fact way.  
"You look nice," said Harry, kicking Ron's foot.  
"Yeah, more than nice. Great," affirmed Ron, quietly grateful for yet another Harry save.  
"Thanks for noticing," said Ginny, downplaying the compliment. "What did you boys do while we were gone? At least it looks like you didn't get into any trouble."  
"Actually, we had some cappuccino and met a couple girls," replied Harry, hitting Ginny's fast serve back over the net for a winner.  
"You did what, Ronald?" asked Hermione, taking Harry's bait. "Is that what you do when I leave you alone? You go looking for girls."  
Ginny grabbed her. "I think they're just rattling our chains. Can you really imagine these two ever managing to pick up some girls? It boggles the mind."  
"Actually, we did meet some girls at the coffee shop. They were playing on a computer like Trevor. They showed us something called the internet. It's like a whole library inside a little box."  
Now Ginny's hackles were raising to match Hermione's. The boys needed to talk fast, or death awaited them with nasty, big pointy wands. How soon all of the points scored last night were erased from the board.  
"I asked them whether or not they could show us the home of the devil," threw out Harry, hoping to slow the fiery eyes staring at them. "They said they could. We looked at a bunch of stuff, mostly rubbish, but just as we were ready to leave Sarah said…"  
"…oh, so you're on first names already," said Ginny. "Did you get a number, so you can ring them on the telly?  
"C'mon Ginny. I am trying to be serious," pleaded Harry. "Sarah said there are other kinds of devils."  
"What?" Ginny asked."  
"Other kinds of devils. She started looking again and she started to find them. Plants, fish, birds, sports teams. Again, we were starting to get bored. Then she found IT," Harry exclaimed with a bit of a flourish.  
"IT! IT!" snarled Hermione, still fairly rankled.  
The Tasmanian Devil. It only lives in Tasmania. That's down south of here."  
"OHMYGOD!" blurted Hermione. "I think you may have solved it. You boys are brilliant."  
"Always a total surprise," said Ron.  
Hermione rushed over and hugged both of them. Ginny joined in and the fire was quenched.  
"We need to find Mick. We have got to talk to John and Trevor. This is exciting." Hermione was rolling out of control. Ron took her and squeezed her. "Slow down, Mione. Mick will be along."  
Yes, but I think we are going to find them. I must apologize the Sybil Trelawney when we get back to Hogwarts. Oh my God!"'  
Just then Ginny spotted Mick coming their way. They could not wait. They started running in his direction.  
"MICK! MICK!" were the cries.  
"What is the commotion?" he asked.  
"I think we solved the puzzle," gushed Hermione. "Well, actually the boys did. It is totally brilliant. We know where to find the devil's home."  
"In Tasmania, announced Ron, cutting in. "The devil is the Tasmanian Devil."  
"That is brilliant," Mick concurred."  
"We must talk to Trevor immediately," Hermione said urgently.  
"Yes, we must. I am sure he is still there. I saw him in the hallway as I was leaving."


	27. High Hopes

The team walked at an excited pace back to the Parliament House. They passed quickly through security, Mick excusing himself from his normal small talk with the guards because they were 'on an urgent matter'.  
Carol beamed a big smile when Mick reappeared in her office. Back so soon, Mick," she cooed. The flowers, already in a vase, and the empty pastry box were on her desk.  
"It is most urgent we see John," insisted Mick, "and Trevor, we must see Trevor as soon as possible. We may have had a breakthrough."  
John came out of his office before Carol could call him. "Still here, Mick? Talking to my girl, are we?"  
"No, I am back with my group. We may have had a breakthrough. We think we found the Devil's Home. We need to see Trevor."  
"I have already called him," said Carol.  
"My God, man. Where is it?"  
"Tasmania. We are talking Tasmanian Devil."  
"This is astounding. I must go to this meeting. But I will be back. Tell Trevor I said sort this out ASAP."  
Carol ushered them into the meeting room they often used. She sat next to Mick, talking to them for a few minutes before returning to her desk. Ginny asked her about the lovely flowers on her desk. She said her boyfriend gave them to her without giving up Mick. "He must be a great guy," said Ginny.  
"Yes, quite," replied Carol.  
"I need a boyfriend more like that," said Ginny. Harry gave her a bit of a look.  
Trevor entered the room a couple minutes later. "I hear we have some sort of news," he said. "What's up, folks?"  
"We are pretty sure we know where to find the Devil's Home," said Hermione, still charged up with the adrenaline of the moment.  
"Where?" said Trevor anxiously.  
"We are certain the Devil's Home is Tasmania, like in Tasmanian Devil," she gushed, excited to talk about it. "We have to go there to find love. What can you tell us?"  
Trevor took some notes and said he needed to dive into it on the computer. Was it possible for them to meet him in the morning? They could even do it at the coffee shop in the square. "Mick knows the one I mean," he said, looking at Mick, who nodded in the affirmative. The group was more than willing to be there whenever he said. The level of excitement was electric.  
"How about 9:00am," asked Trevor.  
"Perfect," said Mick. "We will be there. Have my coffee ordered. You know how I like it. Maybe a nice scone to go with it, too."  
They all returned to Hallow House where they ate a late meal and had a quick soak before bed. Hermione confessed to being so excited she did not think she would be able to sleep. She brought a huge book out to the couch where she said she might just sit and read all night. The rest of them said they were going to take a little stroll before turning in. When they returned Hermione was leaned back asleep with the book on top of her. Ginny carefully pulled a blanket over her before turning off the lights and slipping quietly off to bed. She knew disturbing her would have been a terrible mistake. Let her sleep and dream.  
The night passed unnoticed and morning cracked open the door, spilling in enough light to arouse everyone. They dressed and went out to the square to await Mick. Hermione complained about a stiff neck from sleeping funny on the couch. Ginny ran into the dining hall and grabbed some of the ever-present fresh fruit and juices. They nibbled nervously at the food until Mick finally appeared with Mr. Kookie, according to Ginny.  
"Get those last bites and sips in folks. Be ready here in a moment.  
And right he was. A moment later they were sailing into the morning sun with high hopes that Trevor was going to reward them with the news they had been waiting for since it seemed forever. The whole world seemed to look brighter.  
They secured their landing and started walking. "Follow me," said Mick. "The coffee shop is this way. They make great coffee any way you like it, but the scones, especially the white chocolate and macadamia nut ones are worth the trip all by themselves.  
A bell was tolling as they crossed the grassy area between them and the shops. The grass seemed greener this morning, odd for winter. The sun also looked brighter as it burned off the last remnants of the morning mist. Even the air tasted and smelled better, filled with morning coffee, fresh breads, smoky bacon and spicy sausages. It felt good, friends walking together.  
An odd number of people were outside of the coffee shop as they approached. "Bloody hell," choked out Ron, peering through the shop's large window. "The bloody prime minister is in there with Trevor." No wonder there was an above average number of people standing around, making it stand out from the other nearby shops.  
They stepped in on tentative feet. The shop was abuzz with office workers getting caffeinated and fueled up for the morning stretch. The cappuccino machine was hissing and growling as it steamed the milk. The grinder was chewing up freshly roasted beans. It was a foregone conclusion something was up. But what was it? Was it going to be a good or bad surprise? There was only one way to find out.  
"AHHH! There you are!" exclaimed John, jumping up and sounding as delighted to see them as a winning lotto ticket. "Come. Sit down. What can I get you? Coffee? Scones? Best scones in the city here. Sit. Sit down."  
They all took a seat, each ordering a regular cappuccino and a scone, blueberry for Ron, triple chocolate for Ginny, apple cinnamon for Hermione and maple walnut for Harry. Mick's double shot latte was waiting for him next to a blueberry scone.  
"Trevor told me he was meeting you here this morning. I thought wonderful. Great chance to get out amongst the people. So, I decided to join you and have a good coffee and scone, instead of that awful office stuff. Anyway, he has some information to share with you. He was just filling me in on it. Go ahead, Trevor."  
"Thank you, sir," said Trevor as he stood up. "I did a bunch of digging around in Tasmania. It is smaller, and the population is also smaller, so the data set is a lot easier to manage. First off, I did a search on all of the Wilkins names variables in the general population and dentistry files. That produced nothing, which I expected. I was pretty confident my initial searches had covered it. But no harm in double checking. Then I did a check of immigrants and recent arrivals on the island. It is possible for them to not be entered into the master files. Folks sometimes get backed up doing data entry. I did find two dentists who were recent arrivals. They are working out in the poorer areas with an NGO assisting poor and elderly folks who do not have means of getting or affording needed care. The problem was the names were way off. Couldn't be them, so I pressed on into other data. There was one thing that bugged me, though. Their last names were the same. Couldn't be I kept thinking. But I couldn't stop the itch, so I called our chief down in Hobart. He made a special trip out last evening to check them and to clear my mind. He emailed me a picture of them. This is them. Herman and Hermione Love. WE FOUND THEM!"  
Hermione leaped to her feet. "OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD! OHMYGOD!" she screamed, causing the whole shop to go silent and stare their way. "I love you, Trevor. Thank you. Thank you."  
By then, the whole group was standing. "I am so happy for you," said John, grasping Hermione's right hand with both of his. "We will, of course, assist you in every way to get you reunited and home. Mick pressed over to the prime minister and began whispering to him. It was presumably about this still taking time because of the memory issues and the like. Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry began hugging each other, and Trevor, and chattering with great excitement about finally striking pay dirt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many of my chapter titles are song titles or lyrics, or song title or lyrics puns. This one is a favorite Pink Floyd song. Can you find the lyric homage in the body of the chapter?


	28. We Once Were Lost, But Now Am Found

As sanity returned to the shop and the group regained some of their composure, Mick managed to get their attention and have them take their seats. He started discussing the realities of their next steps. "Getting to Hobart will not be a huge problem. It is only about half the distance as going up to Oenpelli. But, you will need to pack up and prepare for what could be an extended stay. Once you get there and make contact, they are probably not going to just snap out of it. You know the problems with breaking spells. This could take a while."  
Everyone sat, listening closely to his words. John and Trevor had excused themselves to go to the office. There were no distractions to confuse them as the people in the shop flowed in and out, all bent on getting to their jobs or some store to look for a particular purse or pair of shoes.  
"We have to respect the fact Hermione can't just walk up and say, 'Hi, I'm your daughter and these are my friends'. It won't work that way," Mick continued. The group was looking at each other and nodding in agreement to everything he was saying. His coolness and clarity was something they were not ready to produce on their own. They were fortunate to have him there to talk some sense to them. "And they aren't just going to pack up and leave with a bunch of strangers who think they are their daughter and friends. I suppose you could use a spell to convince them to come with you. But do you really want to throw the effects of another spell into the soup? I am going to suggest we return home, so you can pack and prepare. I will need to create a portkey for you."  
This spawned a short discussion on how much Hermione's concoction of spells must have gone haywire. They were supposed to be Wendell and Monica Wilkins, but ended up Herman and Hermione Love. The first names made a bit of sense. The last name was surmised to be related to the ancient magic love that Dumbledore had explained as living in Harry thanks to his mother, who sacrificed herself to protect him. They suspected some of this magic was in play here.  
"I think Mick is right," said Harry. We need to go back home. Let's go get everything organized so we can leave tomorrow. We are in the last phase of this. We don't want to bollix things up, now."  
They left the coffee shop, floating on a wave of happy, good news. The normally staid, at least in recent times, Hermione was bordering on giddy as she joked and poked Ron, who recognized this positive mood shift did an admirable job of facilitating it to the amusement of the others. Ginny got in on the action by dropping notions that Ron should be treating her to some sort of special commemorative remembrance of this day, calling him an insensitive piker.  
Harry finally bailed him out by hauling him into a shop where they reemerged a few minutes later with a pair of well-chosen, thanks to the aid of a helpful, discreet, young clerk, lamb's wool jacquard knit jumpers. After Ron presented his gift to Hermione, who was taken aback both by the quality of the jumper and its exceptionally well-chosen fashion sense, Harry got out the one he chose, ostensibly for Ginny, and executed a perfect fake of presenting it to Hermione, as well, because it was time to 'celebrate for her'.  
Ginny was momentarily crestfallen, bordering on devastated before Harry unveiled his ruse. This caused her to go for her wand, which he averted by pulling the jumper over her head down over her shoulders, making it impossible for her to raise her hands to inflict what probably would have been one of her infamous bat-bogey curses.  
Once they had made the return portkey flight home, they busied themselves gathering all of their belongings. Hermione stashed most everything into her bag and they set out to have a most relaxing time before bed and their morning departure. Mick spent a portion of the evening creating a portkey from the couch they had used to go to Oenpelli. He suspected there would be no reason for another trip there in the foreseeable future. Hermione's comfort spell was destined to revolutionize portkey travel for future voyagers. So, it may as well be accompanied by a comfortable vehicle for longer trips, such as this one.  
Mick had already wrestled the couch into the courtyard when the group emerged from the breakfast hall surrounded by well-wishers wanting to give them all a proper send off. This was exciting for everyone. By now, the group had been accepted as de facto members of the community. It would no doubt become a piece of Hallow House's history.  
Once positioned in cuddle one, cuddle two and Mickey in the middle, as they called it, the couch disappeared, and the future was ready to unfold a new chapter. It sat down a few hours later in the walled-in backyard of a fairly palatial home, complete with a neatly manicured garden swimming pool and bubbling, hot spa. "This place belongs to the government," said Mick. "People like John and other high-level folks use it when they come here. By the way, this is Hobart, just so you know. It is the capital of Tassie. John arranged it for us as long as we need it. He also arranged some support for us. I cannot say enough about him. Best muggle I have ever met."  
The group had to agree. Here he was, leader of a major world nation, and he was treating them like close family, bending over backward to help them at every turn. One could not ask for a better friend.  
They toured the house and sorted out rooms. It was very deluxe. Nigel was supposed to be around in the morning to collect them. According to the information, the NGO facility where they would find the Loves was located several miles away in the poor, rural areas surrounding Hobart.  
"We need to have a plan for tomorrow," said Hermione, always needing a plan. Unlike Ginny, she was seldom one for spontaneity. That is probably a key component in what made them such good friends, the same as hers and Ron's many polar opposite foibles were the magnets that made them so close. Instead of simply matching or mirroring each other, she and Ginny, or she and Ron compliment, complete each other, often in synergistic ways. Ginny and Harry have a similar effect on each other.  
"We can't just rush in and announce ourselves and our reason for being there. They will all think we are a bunch of nutters and chase us away," started Hermione. "I think we have to do something like appearing as potential volunteers, willing to work with them if everyone is okay with that."  
Hermione scanned the face of the group, trying to gauge their reaction to the suggestion. It appeared positive, with Harry saying, "It may be the best we have. I'll do whatever it takes." Ron and Ginny nodded in acceptance. Mick noted that he would probably be coming and going. He did not feel a role in this scenario. It would be best for him to just check in with them on occasion. He would go with them to establish the initial contact, of course.  
"What are you going to do when you see them?" Ginny asked.  
"Yeah, what are you going to do, Mione?" echoed Ron.  
"I guess all I can do is introduce myself and try not to freak out or anything. I definitely will watch their faces for reactions. I don't know. It is totally scary."  
"Well," said Harry, "we will need to figure out what we can do there if we are going to stay. We'll have to do something useful. We can't just hang around. I guess we'll have to see how far it is from here to there. Maybe we can apparate back and forth. We can figure some of that out, tomorrow."  
"I'm not putting my fingers in other people's mouths," declared Ron.  
"I don't think anyone wants your fingers in their mouth," laughed Ginny.  
"You're not a dentist, Ronald," chuckled Hermione. "I don't think you need to worry about that. There will probably be plenty of other things to do. We'll just have to sort them out."  
"Okay, right."  
Mick came back into the room. "Looks like there is a fair amount of food here. Do any of you know anything about cooking?"  
"I have read about that," said Hermione.  
"I help mom. I can cook," said Ginny. "I think I can show the rest some easy stuff like opening a can and boiling water." The others gave her comment a bit of the old stink eye.  
"You'll make a great kitchen elf, Ron," said Harry.  
"Can it, Harry," shot back Ron.  
The discussion and exchange of ideas and occasional smart comments went on for quite some time. Eventually, the hour started to grow late. It was decided they had done as much as they could. They would have to wait until tomorrow to see how things would unfold. For now, it was time to call it a night and hope for a sunny day and good things to follow.


	29. The Deleted Chapter

Mick said he was going to a quick meet up with some folks as he apparated out of the room. Ron and Hermione both got up saying they were tired and wanted a good night of sleep before tomorrow's big event. Harry and Ginny also got up as they disappeared into their rooms. Harry walked into his room thinking, maybe a good soak would feel good before lying down. He donned some swimming trunks he found in the closet and walked out to the spa. Getting there, he was surprised to find Ginny, whom he had assumed was already in bed, soaking in the hot bubbles.  
"Come to join me, Harry?" she asked coyly.  
"Sure, Gin," replied Harry, playing it cool as he stepped into the pool.  
He sat down next to her and within seconds they were snogging. The slipperiness of their skin in the hot bubbles encouraged Harry to start moving his hand about, caressing her strong, athletic body. Suddenly he flinched, realizing she was not wearing a swimming suit. Ginny pressed in hard against him, an urgency…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This format accomplishes 2 or 3 things. First, it keeps the story at a teen level, instead of, possibly, pushing into adult levels. Second, it does progress their relationship. How far does it push the first two points? That is number three. What do you think actually happened? Comments have been all over the road map from nothing to everything to any possibility in-between. I would like to hear your opinion on what did or did not happen.


	30. Hello, It’s Me

Morning broke. It was finally here. The day they had been looking for. After their long search, they were going to make physical contact with Hermione's lost parents. As they gathered in the dining room for breakfast, they knew this was just one more step in achieving their goal. But it was a milestone step. They would be closer than ever to the reunion of Hermione's family. The making whole of the shattered pieces.  
Ginny did an admirable job of making the groups breakfast with a bit of help from Hermione. Ginny scrambled a large pan of eggs and fried some sausage links. Hermione prepared toast with butter and jelly. It was a baby step, but Hermione was determined to start making good on her desire to begin learning her way around the kitchen like she had stated what seemed like a year ago back at The Burrows.  
"I'm expecting Nigel will be around soon," said Mick, finishing his drink. "Do we have everything we need ready? I don't know how far we will be going, but I don't think it will be too far.  
Hermione was anxious, like a tiger pacing in a cage. She tried to act calm, but you could see it in the tension pulsing in her face and actions. This was going to be a very big, very stressful day. There were so many ways it could go. Her mind, which was always packed with things, was on full overload. When the knock on the door came, she nearly jumped out of her skin.  
Ron opened the door to find a young fellow in a tan polo shirt and khakis standing there. He had a friendly smile as he extended his hand. "Nigel, Nigel Cummings."  
"I'm Ron Weasley," said Ron, accepting the handshake. "The others are inside. Follow me."  
As they entered the living room Mick jumped up. "Nigel, good to see you." The group was a bit surprised that Nigel and Mick were acquainted. Mick explained he had met Nigel when he was doing similar work to Trevor for John before Trevor came along. This field post was a bit of a promotion, so it was a good situation.  
"Yes, good to see you, Mick."  
Mick introduced the rest of the group to a hearty welcome on Nigel's part.  
"I went out to the facility yesterday. Checked it out. Told them I had some folks keen on doing some volunteer work with them. They were excited about that. "Never enough hands," they said. "I told them I would be around with them sometime today."  
"Great," replied Mick. "Excellent work."  
"Well, it looks like you are all ready. We might as well get on with it," said Nigel with a clap of his hands. "No use dallying around."  
"Yes, let's go," said Mick. "get the car started, we'll be out in a minute."  
As Nigel disappeared, Mick went on to quickly tell the group to remember that Nigel was a muggle. "We can't talk like we do around Trevor with him. He has a basic understanding of your situation with your parents. We gave him a concocted story about you being an orphan and not knowing if they would want to have anything to do with you. Everything was to be hush-hush until you told him differently."  
Out front, a small, black van was waiting for them with a smiling Nigel at the wheel. They got in, Mick riding shotgun. The others paired up in the seats like a typical group of teenagers on a pleasure ride. They wound out of Hobart through nice, average and fancy neighborhoods. When the civilization started to open up, the quality of living seemed to rapidly nosedive.  
"We'll be there in a few minutes," stated Nigel. "This is really poor country out here. The folks have almost nothing, but their faith and hope, and not much of that. You won't find any tellys or internet unless you have a satellite rig and source of electricity. Most of the houses don't have electricity or plumbing. This place you're going to runs on a couple of big, old military generators. They use all their power running their little hospital operation. You'll need to pop back into town if you fancy a movie or some dancing at a pub," he laughed.  
Nigel slowed down and turned off the mostly paved surface that was passing as a road onto a bumpy dirt road. As they rounded a turn passed some trees they saw a complex of mostly tents and an old, rundown building that was probably a barn in a previous life. "This is it," he announced. The International Hands of Healing Center".  
The van stopped in front of the tent nearest the barn. "Okay, everyone out. I'll find Amy, and we'll all get acquainted." They all unloaded themselves as a 50ish woman emerged from the tent.  
"Ah, Nigel," she hollered. "Glad to see you, again."  
"Yes, Amy. These are the folks I told you about." He introduced them all and said they were university students from England who decided to take some time off from studies to do some volunteer work while they ponder the directions they want to go in life. Mick was their mentor.  
"I am so happy to have you," Amy cheerfully said. "We always need more hands. Never seem to have enough of them. Let's see what you can do. Do any of you have any specialties?"  
"Ron's a dentist," said Ginny with a wry grin.  
"Not bloody likely," Ron growled back at her.  
Amy looked a bit confused, so Harry said, "That's a personal joke between the two of them. Always our class clowns."  
Oh, good," chuckled Amy. "Besides, we actually do have a pair of dentists. Quite lucky to have them, actually."  
"I could help out with them," said Hermione. "My parents are dentists. I helped around their office before leaving for school."  
"Outstanding. I'll arrange for you to meet later. I am certain they would welcome some help."  
Ginny squeezed Harry's hand. He squeezed it back and smiled at her.  
"Anyone else fancy a particular job?" asked Amy.  
"Gin is pretty handy in the kitchen if that is a need," volunteered Harry.  
"That actually could be very useful. We have a lot of people to feed all day. Most people have other jobs. Finding people dedicated to working in the kitchen is a bit hard at times. I think that would work quite swimmingly."  
"Now, to sort out you fellas. Let's take a bit of a tour. Maybe something will pop out at you. Never know. You need to get familiar with the place, anyhow."  
The camp was mostly a dusty field of tents, not unlike then when they were at the Quidditch World Championships. Unfortunately, the tents did not open up inside like the Weasley one in Hermione's bag. They were small and cramped, two people per tent. Ginny and Hermione were given one tent. Harry and Ron got another tent. The bigger tents had various support functions, especially food distribution. The biggest of all was the dining tent. Ginny spent a fair amount of time examining the layout and the cooking facility. Bob and Harriet welcomed her to their team. She told them she would be back over as soon as she finished the tour and got settled into her quarters.  
Inside the barn was a surprisingly clean, reasonably modern medical facility. A lot of money had been spent creating examination and treatment rooms. They had two surgical theaters like you might see in a mobile army hospital. They also had a dentist office. Everyone was too busy with patients for introductions at this time. That would wait until dinner. Hermione did peek inside the dental office. Her heart pounded, and she felt faint. There were her parents, examining a pair of patients. She wanted to run and throw herself on them.  
Ron noticed her looking through the door, shaking. He hurried over and put his arm around her and pulled her away. "Easy, Mione," he said, trying to comfort her. "Easy. Just breathe. It will be okay."  
Hermione managed to wipe away her tears of joy and regain her composure before Amy noticed her upset. She stayed close to him as they moved on, continuing to tour. "It's them, Ron," she kept repeating to him in a whispery voice laced with excitement, like when you spot your favorite sports or music star at a nearby table. "I saw them. They are really here."  
None of the technical jobs offered any job opportunities to Harry or Ron. They didn't have a quidditch team or find a need for horcrux killers. They decided to work in the supply chain system. Ron was going to help receive and distribute food and personal items to families. Harry was lined up to help coordinate medical supplies and make sure they got to the correct doctors and nurses.  
The two of them spent time meeting and learning their responsibilities. Ginny went over to the kitchen to start helping in food preparation and cooking. They were delighted when they found out her favorite thing was baking. They didn't really have a baker on staff. She promised to be a great pick up.  
Hermione was taken to the dental office. The lady, Betty, working in the front said she handled the schedule and getting people in and out, but didn't have any real expertise in helping with the equipment, especially cleaning it and organizing it. Hermione said she was quite familiar with running an autoclave and knew standard setups. Betty was quite thrilled to cede that work to Hermione. We'll make a great team. I'll handle the people, you handle the equipment. The Loves are going to love you. I'll introduce you as soon as they finish the people in their chairs.  
A few minutes passed. Hermione busied herself looking at equipment, getting an idea of general organization. A voice from behind said, "Hermione." She turned around and Betty was standing there with her parents. They were still wearing the medical uniforms. Hermione's heart started beating so hard it threatened to burst, but she held herself together.  
"These are the Loves. Doctor Herman Love and his wife Doctor Hermione Love. They extended their hands. She shook them both, palms sweating. It was the first time they had touched since that fateful day.  
"I am Hermione Granger. I am so glad to meet you at last."  
"Pleasure to meet you, Hermione. Same name as my wife. I wonder if this is fate or something?" said Herman, "Please call me Herme.  
"Yes, pleasure," repeated Hermione. 'I usually stick with Hermione. My husband loves mystical things and all. Don't mind him. Betty tells us you know a bit about working in a dental office."  
"Yes, my parents are dentists back in England. I heard you are also from England. I helped out around their office before leaving for school. And I believe in mystical things and such, too. Who knows?" she managed to chuckle.  
Yes, we are originally from England. Now we move enough we don't remember where we are from," laughed Herme in that dad laugh she missed so much.  
"When we came here, there was a horrible foul up. Our luggage was lost with all of our important identification papers. Lesson for the future there," said her mom. The jet it was on landed in Jakarta and was involved in an accident. It burned. No one was hurt, but everything, including our luggage and papers were destroyed. Long story short, we can't go home until we get replacements. The embassy folks in Canberra are supposed to be working on it, but they sure aren't in a hurry. Haven't heard from them in quite a while. And here we are."  
"Amazing," sighed Hermione. "You both seem so familiar like we have met before. Maybe back in England."  
"I have had a similar feeling," said Herme. "Have you attended dental functions back home? Maybe we met you and your parents at one of them. That would be quite a coincidence, wouldn't it? What were their names?"  
"They are Alan and Jeannine Granger. We're from south of London near the Downs."  
"That sounds oddly familiar, but I am not certain," said Herme. But we must get back to work. We can talk about it more when we have a bit of free time."  
"Of course," replied Hermione, "We can talk more, later."  
As they turned to walk back to where Betty was waiting for their next patient, Hermione quickly hit them with a Finite Incantatem spell once, twice, three times. Both of them twitched some, but the spell was not broken.  
Hermione left the dental office a shaking mass of confliction. She had found her parents, she had actually touched and talked to them, but they didn't recognize her. It was heartbreaking.


	31. Mommy Can You Hear Me?

The group reassembled in the dining hall. "How did it go, Hermione? Did you meet your parents?" asked Ginny.  
"I met them, but they don't know who I am. I don't know how I should feel." Harry nudged Ron, who moved over close and put his arm around her. "I should be glad, thrilled, but they don't know me. I am sad, too."  
"How do you plan to break the spell, Mione," inquired Ron still finishing his stew. The meal was not gourmet like the feasts of the Hogwarts house elves. Everyone missed those meals. But it was good, sturdy and nutritious. The hit of the meal was Ginny's oatmeal raisin cookies. They would be sad to see her go when the time came.  
I already tried Finite Incantatem. Tried it three times. I may have gotten a little reaction. I saw some cracks while talking to them. Moments when it seemed the past was either creeping out or in. I really don't know which way the past creeps. But it was not nearly enough. I am going to read more about counterspells."  
Over the next few days, Harry and Ron got good handles on their responsibilities. It was the first time in their lives they had something of a real job. They both found the mental aspects easy enough. They had no trouble organizing things and scheduling them in and out. The physical aspect was a bit more. Other than quidditch and stair climbing at Hogwarts, they really were a bit short in the fitness part of things. These jobs were doing their part in correcting those shortcomings.  
Ginny was becoming a star in the kitchen. Her baked goods had people singing her praises. Her only limits seemed to be the availability of ingredients. Harry and Ron suspected her wand may be slipping over things a bit. However, they did not mind in the least little bit. Her offerings were going a long way in making the jobs more tolerable.  
Mick checked in on them every other day. There was not much he could do. But he made certain he was there if the need were to come up.  
Hermione proved her worth in the dental office. The Loves were very complimentary of her skills around the equipment. They said that her parents had done a superlative job of teaching her about things. She might want to consider dentistry as a career. They said they would love to meet her parents one day and talk to them about her.  
Hermione spent a lot of time reading on counterspells and other incantations that might work to break the spells blocking her from finally reconnecting with her parents. She tried countless things and used Finite Incantatem at every opportunity. The lack of progress was starting to wear on her. It is hard to imagine anything more frustrating than being so close, possibly just a flick and swish of the wand away from success, but also being so far. What was she missing? It had to be there, probably right under their noses, but remaining hidden, like many of the darkest secrets buried deep in the vaults at Gringott's.  
Harry had secretly told Mick to expect them back in the house in Hobart after dinner time. He asked him if he could arrange some fancy snacks, a bit of hopperloo. They needed a bit of a mental health break. He said he would do what he could.  
Since Ginny was in such demand as the resident baker, she was spared cleanup duties. Once they had finished their dessert, Ginny and Ron slipped out the back way and apparated to Hobart. They reappeared next to the swimming pool. Walking inside, they found Mick waiting for them with a modest, but an adequate collection of party supplies.  
Harry told Hermione he thought he had heard Ron tell Ginny to meet him out by the makeshift volleyball court that was the scene of much pre-darkness activity. He had something to ask her. "Let's head over that way and see if we can catch up with them. I'd fancy a game of cards if everyone else is up to it."  
Hermione followed Harry out of the dining tent. "May I have your arm?" he asked in an overstated display of gentlemanly chivalry.  
"Of course, sir," she replied with a courtly flourish of medieval ladyship. As soon as her hand landed on his arm they were gone. Seconds later they appeared next to the pool.  
"What the hell, Harry? she asked, confused and trying to figure out just how upset she needed to become. "What's going on?"  
"Just follow me."  
"I think I have followed you too much already. I'm going back."  
"Wait. Just come and at least say hello to Mick while you're here. Your bag of books will be there when we go back."  
'Okay, but just for a minute," she said, soundly put out by the whole thing. "You know I don't like these tricks."  
"Okay," said Harry, sliding open the door. "I'm sorry."  
They walked in through the kitchen and dining room to the living room, where the lights were bright. Mick, Ron and Ginny were sitting around the snack table, munching on a variety of muggle snacks, mostly peanuts, pretzels, crisps and popcorn. "HARRY! HERMIONE! Come in," hollered Mick. "Sit down, grab some snacks."  
Hermione could not help but smile. They had obviously spent a fair bit of time arranging this stunt. A few snacks could not hurt. She sat down next to Ron, who put his arm around her and gave her a quick snog, which she returned. By now Harry was seated next to Ginny. They smiled at each other and shared a quick bit of snogging.  
There was a thump on the table and Mick said, "Here's another bit of a surprise." He produced a box with about a dozen hopperloo bottles in it. He quickly handed each of them a bottle. It took no time at all for them to all open their bottles and savor their first taste after a long day at the camp. It was the first time any of them had a whole bottle to themselves. Hermione was starting to look like the trials of the past few days were taking a bit of a respite. Harry led the four of them in a chorus of Hoggy Warty Hogwarts. The mood was definitely loosening.  
"By the way," said Mick, "just so you'll know. Don't give this to muggles. Anything more than a sip, and you can't predict what will happen. It affects them differently. One bottle and they'll be howling at the moon, dancing naked on a table. No one has identified exactly why it does what it does to them. I think it is the yeast mold they grow on the amanita mushrooms. They grind it up, mushroom and all to make the hopperloo ferment. At least that is my theory."  
It became time to regale Mick with the recounting of old tales from their years at Hogwarts. Another round of hopperloo was quickly vanishing and they were in uncharted territory. It definitely packed more of a punch than butterbeer. It was more like mead in potency. But since they had never sampled more than a small snifter of the honeyed liquor, they were as yet unaware of where it can take you.  
"Our first year there," started Harry, "we figured out Voldemort was trying to regain his physical form by stealing the Philosopher's Stone hidden at Hogwarts. We thought it was a professor named Snape that was trying to get it for him, but it was really Professor Quirrell. Voldemort had taken over his mind and body to use in his search. We had to solve these really tough puzzles designed by the different professors to find the place where it was hidden and to stop Voldemort."  
"First, we had to get passed a giant, three-headed dog, then Ron almost got killed by some Devil's Snare because he couldn't relax."  
"How can you relax when a plant is trying to kill you?" interrupted Ron, still sensitive about that.  
"He was lucky Hermione paid attention in class. Then I fought flying keys, we solved a potions puzzle and got passed a mountain troll. Finally, Ron played an awesome game of life-size wizard's chess. He nearly got killed again sacrificing himself so I could checkmate the king. At the end, I had to face Quirrell and Voldemort to keep the stone away from them. Quirrell tried to kill me, but I have some kind of magic in my skin from when my mom sacrificed herself to save me when I was a baby. I never knew it until then, but Dumbledore explained it to me. It made him crumble into dust and Voldemort's spirit escaped."  
"That's quite a story," Harry.  
They continued the stories through killing the basilisk, Hermione punching out Malfoy, The TriWizard Tournament, using Polyjuice potion to turn into Crabbe and Goyle complete with Moaning Myrtle and Hermione turning into half cat, half her by accident. Then there was Ron nearly getting killed again by poison, The battle at the Ministry and more. One of the favorites of the evening was using Polyjuice to steal the locket from Umbrage. The closing stories were the escape from Gringott's on a dragon and the final battle.  
The hopperloo had worked its magic. Everyone had escaped the troubles of the day into a world of relaxation. Hermione was especially giddy, having had the greatest need for release. They all leaned back and let their minds drift.  
Suddenly, Hermione said she had an idea. "You're going to think I've gone mental. I suppose it could be the hopperloo talking, but I'll need help to do it."  
Harry looked at her and gave a supportive smile. She did look a bit loopy. Aside of Hermione no one had ever seen. "It is okay," insisted Harry. "You know we are aware of how many things you have tried, with and without assistance from us. We are committed to helping. We'll do anything possible for you and your parents."  
"Okay, then," she started. "I want to get the six of us together in private. Probably at the end of the day. Their office is the best option I can think of off the top of my head. You guys wait around outside of it until Betty leaves. Then you come in and I invite them to join us for a little celebration. Maybe it's one of your birthdays. I pull out a bottle of hopperloo…"  
"…you did hear what Mick said about muggles and hopperloo. I don't think you want your parents dancing naked on the desk," said Ginny.  
Hermione drew in a breath and continued. "I think we are safe if we split in amongst the lot of us. That can also be an excuse for such a small celebration…we don't have enough to share with everyone."  
"I like it so far," said Ron. "Whose birthday is it?"  
"I don't know, yours I guess, Ronald."  
"Okay. Just asking."  
"I'll pour six tiny portions and hand them out. They will also be some Veritas Serum in my parent's glasses. Once we do a toast, then it will take the hopperloo a couple minutes to take effect. You and Ginny, she said, looking at Harry. will slip and drink a dose of Polyjuice Potion with my parent's hair in it."  
"Who do you want to be, Harry? Mum or Dad?" Harry just stared at Ginny with a raised eyebrow, knowing most of it was the hopperloo talking. Then after a moment, Harry asked Hermione where she was going to get the potions.  
"I thought we might need some various potions, so I asked Professor Slughorn. He gave me a basic selection. If they work, maybe I can finally get my picture on the wall next to yours, Harry."  
"That would be a nice bit of frosting, I suppose," said Harry with a chuckle.  
Hermione cleared her throat, redirecting the conversation back to her. "Anyway, you come back in and I introduce you as my parents, who came to make a surprise visit. I'll start getting all chummy and you start asking their names and where they are from and anything else you can think of to boggle their minds. Maybe we can get a breakthrough."  
Everyone more or less stared back and forth. "What do you think, Harry?" asked Ron.  
Is it worth a shot? It seems weird," said Ginny.  
"I say let's give it a go. What have we got to lose?" said Harry, clapping his hands and standing. "We have to keep trying. I am all in on it."  
"Is that it, then?" asked Mick, who had been quietly listening. "Then let's spend the night here in a comfortable bed. You can pop back first thing in the morning."  
It took no more effort to sell that idea. Everyone headed off to call it a night.


	32. A Birthday Surprise

Morning came extra early for the group. They had to all get up and apparate back to camp before the place started coming to life and their absence was noticed. It was not a case of them not being able to come and go at will. Everyone there shared that freedom. But it would just eliminate the need to answer questions about where have you been and what have you been doing? Did you go out partying? We'd have liked to have gone, too.  
Harry and Ginny left first. Ginny needed to be in the kitchen earlier than the others. She was always expected there for things like biscuits and her mom's cinnamon rolls, when they could get cinnamon.  
Ron and Hermione showed up a short while later. Both of them prepared for their day in anticipation of their celebration of Ron's birthday later. Hermione was microscoping the details, and them bouncing them off Ron. Ron was busy making certain he knew the last incarnation of the plan, as Hermione was already working on version three point one million and one. Harry met up with them, so he could also stay up to date in the loop.  
They eventually made it over to breakfast, where Ginny, having finished her baking for the morning, joined them for an update. By the time it was time for them all to head off to their various jobs, they felt confident that the plan was pretty sound.  
Hermione spent much of the morning planning and laying out the eventual event. She picked a place to hide the bottle of hopperloo that was both safe from prying eyes and hands, and easy to get to at the appropriate time. She located six small juice-size glasses and staged them in a way that she could 'find' them when it was time, and not make anything look staged. This was all supposed to roll as an impromptu happening. Next, she prepared the vials of Polyjuice potion with a hair from each parent. She carefully scratched an 'M' and a 'D' on them so she could make certain Ginny and Harry got the correct one. It could probably work either way, but it seemed like it would be more natural for them to work as a member of their own gender. Besides, she imagined they were thinking of questions for posing as her mom and dad based on the same assumption. Next, she positioned a room divider in the corner and hid a pair of the Love's extra clothes she had found behind it. Lastly, she placed the tiny vial of Veritas Serum in her pocket. The small size of a container of this potent potion made it easy to conceal or misplace.  
Ginny and Harry spent the morning and afternoon racking their brains for those elusive 'perfect' questions that could loosen the grip of the confundus charms on the Loves. They met at lunch to discuss and swap ideas. They had a huge role in the success or the failure of this attempt to break the spells. Once Hermione set the scene, they would be the stars working center stage. Their believability and choice of questions could well be the weight on the scale tipping it in either direction. They both felt a huge amount of pressure. But for Hermione, and her parents, they felt compelled to do their best and defeat these charms.  
Some might think Ron had the easiest job of the group in pulling this off. He had to feign shock at Hermione's birthday surprise for him. Then, he could stand back and watch the events unfold, being there as a support for Hermione in the event the trick worked or failed, either way.  
And if you believe that, then you know nothing of Ron, or men, in general. Harry was a general who toughed his way through the toughest situations. What he lacked in confidence at times was made up for by pure will and conviction. Outduel a basilisk? Done it. Fight a dragon? Put me down for good on that one. Kill the baddest bad guy of all time? Check that off my bucket list. This was not Ron's style.  
Ginny was, as the Japanese so aptly recognized, a warrior. Yes, we know she is a she, but let's run with it. She had a lot of her mother in her. The mother who held it together for year after year, no matter what tragedy befell the family. Then, when the chips were flying, Molly took on one of the most imposing, psychotic, skillful duelists of all time, Bellatrix LeStrange, and blew her away in a straight-up, Western-style wand fight. A mother bear protecting her young one, a young one destined to be just as much and more of the same. Again, this was not Ron's style.  
Hermione, yes, another female, was a thinker and strategic planner. She was not opposed to impulsiveness, such as punching Malfoy in the running lights or drawing a werewolf away from Harry by howling, or inviting McClaggen to Slughorn's party. But her forte was thinking and learning. She was an encyclopedia of spells and other knowledge. It would be hard to count the number of times Harry and Ron succeeded behind some cleverness and persistence on her part in the library. She was always the brains of the operation. Not Ron's role or style.  
But Ron is that faithful sergeant who never abandons his friends, and is ready to fight to the end, going down in a blaze of glory, if need be. When others desert you, he will dig his own grave and use it as a defensive point to defend you. He will run into the face of the enemy to carry you off the battlefield at risk of his own life.  
Some of you might think he is dim compared to the others, only prone to occasional flashes of brilliance. You don't know Ron. Once he understands things, turn him loose and stay out of his way. He will be there when needed, ready to help. A better soldier cannot be found.  
And Ron has one other thing in this situation, and it is a big thing, maybe some would say the ultimate thing. As it was said in a famous muggle song, 'When a man loves a woman, Can't keep his mind on nothin' else, He'd change the world for the good thing he's found… He'd give up all his comforts, And sleep out in the rain, If she said that's the way, It ought to be'. Ron is a man in love.  
So, the truth of the matter is this thing is eating him alive from the inside out. He would rather be in a fight, any kind of a fight, take on dementors, Aragog, death eaters, even Voldemort, himself, than be forced to stand back and watch while his love is living and dying in front of him.  
His biggest contribution to this scene is his heart, which is beating inside Hermione. It is stronger than anyone can imagine. No sword can cleave it, no spell stop it, no situation deter it. It is the purest of steels. Without it, the weaker might fall. It will be there for Hermione through all of this no matter how gut-wrenching. It will protect her through to the end. This is Ron's real piece of the action.  
When the end of the work day arrived, Ginny met Harry outside of the kitchen area. She had pre-set baked goods that the others could easily make in her absence. They gathered Ron and went over to a nearby vantage point to wait for Betty to leave for the day. That was the signal the last patient was being examined. When the Loves finished with their final patient, they would assist them out, and then go back in to change and close up. The three of them were to wait near the door for Hermione to open and close it. Then they should walk in and launch the plan into action.  
They stood there, waiting…waiting…waiting…for what seemed like a year. Then the door quickly opened, and just as quickly closed. They looked at each other, Ron gulped, and it was show time.  
In they walked, like no one's business. "What's up?" asked Hermione, feigning all ignorance as to the reason for their presence. The Loves, who were taking their first steps toward the door, stopped, said hello to them, and politely waited, not wanting to walk between them.  
"Really," said Ginny, sounding a little peevish. "You, of all people should know."  
"Know what?" she answered, both curious, but a little put off by Ginny's tone.  
"It's only Ron's birthday…your boyfriend…you do recall him, don't you?" Ginny was good at this. Harry was in awe.  
"OHMYGOD!" she exclaimed, running to him and hugging and kissing him. "I am so sorry. I got so busy working…well, I forgot."  
Ron tried to look a little sad, but also forgiving. "It's okay. There is a lot of stuff going on. We'll sort it out later."  
"That's pretty decent of you," said Harry, looking at the Loves. They were hooked up on the drama. So far, so good.  
"We have to do something," cried Hermione, a real tear coming down her cheek, as she rattled around the room like she was looking for something. "Here. Here. It's the last one," she rattled, producing the bottle of hopperloo. "We can have a toast."  
Again, she started dashing around the room, moving things about. "Yes, these will work," she said, holding the small glasses and setting them on the table. "Open the bottle, Harry. Pour us all a sip."  
The Loves were still locked into the proceedings as Harry uncapped the bottle. It was probably the first non-tooth related drama they had witnessed in quite some time. It gave Hermione a chance to secretly pour a few drops of the Veritas Serum into the Love's glasses.  
Harry poured about the equivalent of a quarter cup into each glass. Hermione carefully distributed them to everyone. Ginny struck up a chorus of Happy Birthday while Ron blushed and tried to act embarrassed. Harry slapped him on the shoulder as they finished and said. "Here's to my best mate. Through everything we have been through, he has always been there. A better friend would be impossible to find. He is more than a mate, he's family. He's my brother."  
"That makes me your sister," said Ginny.  
"Hermione went, "Ooooooooo, Harry. Your dating your own sister."  
"Funny, Hermione," he said, hoisting his glass. "Oh well, Here's to Ron."  
"Everyone hoisted their glasses and said, "Ron!" Then they downed their drinks and the real action was ready to start.  
Within a few seconds, the Love's started to get glassy-eyed and looked a bit dizzy. Hermione sat them down in a pair of nearby chairs. Harry and Ginny gulped down the Polyjuice potion, trying not to vomit, and ducked behind the room divider to change.  
"Are you okay?" asked Hermione.  
"I am just a bit dizzy," said Herme, the Veritas Serum working.  
"I feel a little funny, but kind of good," said Hermione.  
Harry and Ginny stepped out from behind the curtain and stepped up. "I have a bit of a surprise for you," announced Hermione. "These are my parents, Alan and Jeannine Granger. They came done to surprise me with a visit."  
Herme stood up and extended a hand, "Wendel Love…err Herman Granger, errr Herman Love," he stammered as Hermione giggled at him.  
You could see Hermione tense as her father faltered with his name and her mother thought it was funny. They were all seeing cracks, perhaps some crumbling of the confundus wall.  
"What did you say you name was?" asked Ginny. "Did I hear Jeannine?"  
"No, it's Monica…uh…Hermonica," she started laughing. "Hermione Granger. For the love of Pete. Hermione Love."  
Ginny and Harry ran with the name shuffle game and also asked about their daughter. "I heard her name was Hermione."  
"Yes, Yes," said Herme. "That's her right there."  
"Yes," said Hermione. "That's our daughter over there."  
They both looked really dazed and confused. Hermione and Ron helped sit them down. Harry and Ginny took that as a cue to duck back and change, hoping the small amount of Polyjuice potion they had taken would quickly wear off.  
"Where have you been, dear?"  
"Yes, your tea is getting cold."  
Then Herme realized they were not sitting on their couch back in England waiting for Hermione to come downstairs for tea. "Wha-what's going on? Where are we?" he asked.  
"DADDY! MOMMY!" cried Hermione, diving between them, arms open. I have missed you some much. Ohhhhhhh!"  
Ron stood back, waiting for the right moment.  
"What's going on, Hermione? What's going on?" her father repeated.  
Hermione stood up. Ron instantly put an arm around her to support her. Tears were flowing from Hermione with even greater intensity than ever before. "I found you," she blubbered.  
"It is a long story, sir," said Ron. "Give us a minute and we'll sort it out for you."  
Harry and Ginny reappeared as themselves. 'Yes, sir. It is a very long story. Hermione can fill you in, but we need to give her a bit. I am sure you will understand later."  
Hermione stayed in Ron's arms, crying profusely. "I am so happy. I love all of you."


	33. Reunited, and It Feels So Good

It was quite a while before Hermione regained enough composure to start talking coherently to her parents. That was actually a good thing because that gave them time for the hopperloo to wear off. At this point, the effects of the Veritas Serum were of no consequence.  
Hermione walked over to them and said, "We are in Tasmania."  
"WHAT?" was the reaction of her parents.  
"Please, bear with me," asked Hermione.  
"Excuse me," said Harry. "Ginny and I are going to see Mick. He needs to know this. We need to start planning the next steps. We'll be back."  
"Okay," said Hermione, Ron holding her tightly. "Let's start from the beginning. Do you remember the conversation we had about an hour ago, to you, about how dangerous things were getting and we needed to start figuring out some safety precautions for all of us?  
"Yes," of course, dear," said her mother.  
"Well, that was actually about a year ago."  
"WHAT?" was once again the reaction.  
"Let me talk," asked Hermione. "When you called me down for tea, I came up behind you and used to memory charm to erase your memories of me and to convince you to move here. I was in a panic to protect all of us. I made a hurried, bad decision. A lot of things went wrong, and when the war was over, I didn't know where you were, or how to find you. Ronald, here," she squeezed him and gave him a kiss, not fearful of her parent's reaction, "along with Harry and Ginny and I were searching for you for a long time, and after we found you, we had to break the memory charm, which was the hardest part."  
"It all started back at the school when I had a breakdown about losing you to Harry. We decided then and there to go on this mission" From there she took them through the war, big battle, the whole search as Ron held her, feeling happier than he had in a long time.  
Harry and Ginny reappeared, along with Mick, as Hermione was wrapping up her long story of the war and search. Her parents had teary eyes as they felt the depth of love and conviction this group had displayed, and the dangers they had passed through to find and reunite them.  
"Harry, Ginny," called out Hermione, "MICK!" she ran to him and threw her arms around him, overfilled with the emotion of recounting the long history of events started with a simple twist of her wand. "Come. Meet my parents."  
She pulled Mick over as her parents stood up. "This is Mick…Mick Nakatsuo. He has cared for and guided us since we arrived in Australia. We could never have done this without him," gushed Hermione. "These are my parents, Alan and Jeannine Granger." Hermione was beaming with joy.  
"A true pleasure. Hermione has told me so much about you," said Mick, shaking both of their hands. "You have a very special girl here. You are so lucky. She is the smartest young person I have ever met."  
"Thank you so much for everything," replied Alan. "This is all so sudden. We are…well, we are just overwhelmed."  
"Yes, thank you," added Jeannine.  
"You are totally welcome. Excuse me, please. I have to talk to Harry and Ginny about plans to get you back home. You do want to go back home, don't you?"  
"Uh, yes," said Alan.  
"Okay, I will leave you in the capable hands of Hermione and Ron".  
Mick, Harry and Ginny retired to a corner for some serious planning. They were in the final bits of their mission. It was imperative they finished it off with a fine polished finish, not a scattered mess.  
"I am thinking," began Mick, "we have Nigel pop in first thing and announce that he had been contacted by London. It was necessary for the Loves, as long as they are here, they must remain the Loves, to return to England as quickly as possible. Some sort of family emergency, I imagine."  
"That is a great idea," said Ginny.  
"Hermione will have to get them reoriented to their dental office routine tonight. I imagine they will not even know their assistant. Betty, isn't it? They will need to get through the morning until Nigel can get here."  
"I'll handle that," said Harry, holding Ginny while looking over to the happy foursome across the room and smiling.  
"What about us?" asked Ginny. "How do we get out of here without just disappearing?"  
"I have been pondering that stickler," mused Mick, scratching his head. "I suppose you can say you need to leave to go back home for school the next day. Quite believable, and hard to argue with that one."  
"That is probably the best we have," said Harry, pursing his lips and nodding his head. "We can think more on it. But let's go with it for now."  
"I will contact John in the morning. We will all gather at the house in Hobart. I am certain John will arrange a flight for you to Canberra. Once we are there, we can work on the next step."  
Mick got up and walked over to the others. "I hate to interrupt you, but I need to borrow these two for some important logistical discussion. Maybe you should see about getting a bite to eat. I know you have already missed dinner."  
"We're a bit disoriented," noted Alan. "Seems I don't recognize any of this."  
"Ah, forgot about that," said Mick. "Hold on a second."  
Mick came back with Harry. "Harry is going to walk you around. Just stick with him and remember that you are still the Loves to everyone here."  
"Follow me," said Harry, as they got up and walked toward the exit. "I'll get you around. The others can finish the details without me. Capable lot."  
Mick returned to Ginny with Ron and Hermione. He explained the plan so far. When he got to the part about the flight to Canberra, Ron spoke up. "I think Hermione and her parents should go alone. They should have a little family time without all of us. The four of us can use the portkey to return."  
Ginny looked at Hermione, who had a bit of a shocked expression. "My God, Hermione, who is that and what have you done with my barmy brother?"  
"I was going to ask you much the same," replied a smiling Hermione. "That's right and brilliant, Ron."  
"Always a…"  
"…Oh, shut up, Ronald," Hermione cut him off. "Don't ruin the moment." They never knew it was really Ron being scared of the idea of flying in a muggle airplane, not altruism that prompted his statement.  
Ginny felt compelled to giggle. "Once we get them to Canberra, I suspect we'll all be meeting John, Trevor, Carol."  
Most definitely, I don't think you could get away without it. They are going to be so excited. Now with John, you may want to be ready for the press. He will want to announce the success of his search for you. That is his way. He is a politician, and politicians love positive press."  
They looked at each other and agreed that John should have his moment. After all, where would they be without all he had done. Ginny noted presents would be needed for all three. They sat around pondering and bouncing present ideas until they had a plan.  
Harry returned with the Loves. "No problem. Everything went well," he said, setting a box with some food down. "Here's some snacks for you. Pretty good. The cookies are better than usual. Must have a new baker." Ginny grabbed one and hit him in the forehead with keen accuracy. Hermione saw her reach for her wand, but grabbed her hand to prevent further havoc. The room collapsed in laughter.  
It was decided that they would all remain in the dentist office until bedtime. They felt it prudent to keep a low profile until tomorrow, to stay below the radar, be things forgotten for the time being. In the morning the foursome would speak to Amy before Nigel made his appearance. It was thought that this would be a better order of things. The Loves would put on a show of stress and upset at Nigel's news. They would hem and haw on their plan, then decide they needed to go post haste. If everything went to plan, they could be meeting with the prime minister and his crew in a day or two. From there, they would plan the rest of their journey.


	34. Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Ginny was the first up, as always, off to bake for the breakfast crowd. They had their main story set, and rationale and facts made up to answer questions. They wanted to sound one hundred percent credible. The Loves got up and made ready for another day of dentistry. Hermione and Harry had rehearsed them, so they could function well enough to get them through until Nigel appeared.  
The three of them made it to breakfast. Amy was always one of the first in, grabbing a quick meal and extra coffee in preparation for the day. When she came in and sat down, they approached her. Ginny came from the back to join them.  
"We have some sort of bad news," said Hermione, looking like she was about to explain herself in the principal's office. "We went into town for a little recreation and, well, we got in contact with some people back home. We are apparently going to need to leave as soon as we can to return home. We are really sorry."  
"Don't be sorry," said Amy, looking concerned. "Is there anything I can do to help?"  
"No, not really. It is just school stuff about our leave and classes. Some of our paperwork was not done properly. We are kind of stuck with having to go straighten it out to maintain our status at school," said Harry.  
"Well, you will all certainly be missed. You have been great helpers. I hope you get everything fixed."  
"We will," said Ginny. "Maybe we can come back in the future."  
"That would be spectacular. You will be welcomed with open arms," said Amy, standing up. So, what are all of you studying? I don't think we ever discussed that."  
"No, we didn't," Hermione said, clearing her throat. "I am studying law. I wasn't certain of my direction, but after this, I am going to work as a barrister helping the poor and less fortunate. These people need all the help they can get. I want to help them."  
"That is quite admirable, indeed. How about you, Ginny?"  
That's kind of funny. I was studying law, too. Now I think I have found my true calling. I am going to change majors and enroll in culinary school to become a chef, to own the best bakery chain in the UK."  
Amy laughed. "I have no doubt you will succeed at that. Your baked goods are already legends around here."  
"And how about you?" she said, looking to Ron.  
"Uh…me…right. I am studying the outdoors. I want to be the administrator of a national park or big nature preserve. I love animals and the outdoors."  
"I guess that leaves me," said Harry, Amy looking to him. "I am sticking to the law. I want to put away the bad guys. I want to make sure they get what is coming to them and do not escape through legal shenanigans."  
"Wonderful, well, you will all do good, I just know it."  
"Well, we should all be getting off to work. Just because we are leaving tomorrow is no excuse to be laying about today," observed Hermione.  
"Right you are, as always," said Ron.  
They all took off in the respective directions. Now it was up to Nigel and Hermione's parents to seal their part of the deal.  
About an hour later Ron was heading across the camp with some boxes for the kitchen when he saw Nigel coming into the camp. He hurried into the food tent and alerted Ginny. She ran off to tell Hermione while Ron told Harry. Nigel pulled up in front of Amy's tent and got out. Amy, having heard a vehicle stop, came out to see who it was.  
"Nigel," she said. "Pleasure to see you. What brings you out so early?"  
"Good to see you, too, Amy," he replied in his cheerful bureaucratic voice. "Some bad news, actually. A bit of an emergency, I am afraid. You are going to lose your dentists."  
"Oh my! When it rains, it pours. I just lost your four young friends. They are getting called back to school."  
"Blimey," replied Nigel. "This is a bad situation. Mick must be on his way, as well, then."  
Amy looked sick, losing six people in the course of about an hour. They were all going to be hard to replace.  
"Anyway, I have to get the Loves to the airport by six this evening for a flight to Canberra. They will hop a jet to London from there. I don't know all the details of the emergency, but I guess it was enough to get the slow hands in the British embassy moving to clear up all the paperwork that has been plaguing them. I am sorry to do this to you."  
"I guess I can figure it out," moaned Amy, overwhelmed by all the morning's news. "The important thing is getting the Love's to that jet. We better go see them straight off."  
They made their way to the dental office. The Loves were just preparing for a couple of new patients. Nigel informed them of the situation. They acted duly shocked and befuddled. "We will work until lunch," they said. "We can do a few more patients. It won't take us long to pack. We really do not have all that much. Nigel says if we leave by three-thirty we will be fine to make the flight."  
Hermione had watched Nigel, Amy and her parents while doing her work. As soon as Nigel and Amy left, she ran out to tell Ginny, who informed the others.  
At lunch, Amy took a pause to inform the camp of all the impending departures. After a lot of applause, there was a lot of hugging, tears and well wishes passed around.  
Hermione took the moment to give Ron the biggest snog he could remember since they destroyed the horcrux in the Cup of Hufflepuff. He walked over to Harry as Hermione went on to say farewell to other people. "I feel weird, Harry. You saw her snog me just now. I don't know what happened. It was like my whole heart was going to explode."  
Harry looked at him for a minute. He looked a little rattled. "I think that is it, Ron. I think that's it…"  
"…what's it?" interrupted Ron. I feel peculiar, but kind of excited, like I could take on the whole world."  
"It's Hermione's heart. I think she just gave you the other half of it."  
"Bloody hell," said Ron in a panicky voice. "Harry. What do I do?"  
"You take care of it. You better treat it like the best thing you ever had."  
"Yeah, right. I will. Bloody hell. I…"  
"…Calm down, you nutter. You don't want to break it already," Harry chuckled.  
Ron just looked at him and smiled like a man on top of the world.  
As lunch wound down, Ron and Harry returned to their jobs. Hermione helped her parents pack up and get ready. They all knew the real flight was tomorrow, and that it would include Hermione and her parents. The rest would leave by portkey as soon as they got back to the house in Hobart in the morning. They would be landing at Hallow House, then popping to Canberra from there. Mick would probably have the schedule when he showed up later. All they could do is kick back, finish their jobs and be quietly going bonkers inside about what was now rolling full speed ahead like the Hogwarts Express.  
Nigel pulled out on time with them at three-thirty. The whole camp was waving and shouting their best. The four of them gathered, starting to get antsy. "I wish Mick would get here," said Hermione. "We need to know the plan. I am sure he's got it all down, but we need to go over it."  
Ron put his arm around her, the heart in his chest-thumping away. "Relax, Mione. I love you. Everything is going to be fine."  
She smiled at him, not needing to speak. For the first time, she felt totally safe and happy with him holding her. It was a different feeling, like nothing in the world could harm her as long as he held her.  
Mick showed up shortly before dinner. He told them Nigel would be there to leave at eight o'clock. They would return to the house and take off on the portkey to Hallow House. Once there, they would make ready for Canberra and head in as soon as possible. John was going to hold a press conference with Hermione and her folks.  
For now, it was time to double check their preparedness and rest up for a very big day.


	35. Leaving on a Jet Plane… and a Couch

Everyone was up by seven, looking pumped and ready, even Ron. They had all of their stuff properly packed and sitting outside the dining tent while they ate their last breakfast with their new friends. Ginny, bless her heart, had gotten ready and still found time to help put one last serving of her famous cinnamon rolls together for the camp. They were going to truly miss her, even though she claimed to have trained some competent replacements.  
Once they got to the house, their belongings would find their way into Hermione's bag. But for now, it would look suspicious, or at least strange, if they had nothing in the way of luggage. When Nigel pulled in, right on time, they quickly tossed their stuff in the van and started to pull out. The cheers among the waving were strong and heartfelt. There were more than a couple wet cheeks in the van as it sped away.  
The trip into town, and to the house was fairly quick. Even as the capital, rush hour traffic is light compared to normal traffic in London. Mick was waiting for them with Hermione's parents when they arrived. They were more than complimentary of him and the house. 'It better than any hotel or resort I've ever stayed in," announced her dad. "Five stars, with a staff to match."  
"Okay," said Mick, trying to be humble in the wake of Alan's compliment. "Everyone needs to listen, so we get this all correct. Don't want any foul-ups this late in the game. Hermione. You will be traveling with your parents to Canberra. They said you have flown several times as a kid. So, you're okay with that, right?" She nodded an affirmative. "You will have everyone's things in your bag. As soon as you arrive in Canberra, you will be met by some of John's staff. Carol, if we are lucky. They will take you to a hotel. The flight out to London is late, so you'll need a room. Once you settle into the room, apparate to Hallow House. We'll meet up there and prepare to return. We all know how to apparate to the spot in Canberra, so we will skip the portkey. From there, we will meet up with John for his press thing. After that, it is time to send you off to London."  
"I want to stay with the group on the way home," said Hermione, "if that is okay. I want to thank the people at Mahoutokoro and in Romania, too."  
"Okay, we'll have to discuss that later. Let's just focus on getting through this trip up and conference. I am sure John will have this orchestrated, so I don't see any problems other than we all need to think about what to say and trying to give John a big moment of positive press."  
Hermione wanted to stay with the group instead of ushering her parents home did present a bit of a conundrum. It was perfectly reasonable to want to do the things she pointed out, perhaps even necessary. But it left them with the dilemma of who would then meet her folks in London and watch over them without her there to shepherd them around. Granted, they knew the city well, but they would still need lodging and food money, and they would need to start house hunting as soon as possible. Maybe John would have some thoughts.  
Nigel interrupted saying, "It is best we get out to the airport and get Hermione and her parents checked in. "Got them three business class seats, so they will have a nice flight."  
Great replied Mick. Go ahead, then. I will finish up and we will be out of here directly. We have to keep this ball rolling to make this all work."  
Nigel assisted Hermione, Alan and Jeannine to the van. The group wished them safe travels as the doors closed and Nigel pulled away. The events were like a balancing act from here on out, one misstep and disaster might follow.  
"When Hermione is gone like this, I almost feel naked without that bloody, beaded bag nearby."  
"Good, Ronald," chirped Ginny. Harry winced, knowing this couldn't end well. "Then we can go for a dip in the pool before we leave."  
Harry's eyes grew three sizes. "Will you stop with the pool thing, Ginny. Mom and dad are definitely going to hear about this," Ron nearly shouted, his face glowing red. Harry also turned a bit red. Mick just laughed.  
"Now, gasped Mick, recovering from Ron's hypersensitivity to the notion of bathing in the nude, "if you comedians are ready, we need to get onto Hallow House. I am certain that they are going to want a rundown of how this all shook out and also want to offer congratulations once Hermione gets there. In order to keep this ball in play, we need to get on with kicking it down the road."  
"Mick's right," said Ron. "We need to get going. Let's not be the ones to muck things up."  
Ginny looked at him, not used to him being the one out front urging everyone on. "I think he is feeling more responsible since he got the rest of his heart," said Harry.  
"What are you talking about?" asked Ginny, clearly not understanding Harry.  
"Ron's heart, well Hermione's heart, really. They had a moment back at the camp after Amy's talk at lunch. They had a really big snog and it was pretty clear that Ron now has all of Hermione's heart.  
"Ooohhh," gasped Ginny. Well, that's great. You better behave, then. If you hurt it, you'll have me, not just her to answer to."  
"Me behave? You're the let's get naked in the pool nutter." It was Ginny's turn to blush. Harry just stood by quietly, smirking.  
"Okay. C'mon. C'mon. Jokes over," said Mick. "Nothing to see here. Move on, now. Move on."  
As they walked out back toward the waiting portkey, Harry looked over at Ron and whispered "Good one, mate," as he slapped his shoulder.  
Ron smiled, knowing it was not easy to get one over like that on his sister. She was the quick wit of the family, well right up with Fred and George, anyway.  
Harry and Ginny cuddled up in Cuddle one position, Mick got into Mickey in the Middle. Ron found himself in the unaccustomed position of sitting all alone on the other end, his cuddle mate flying in a jet with her parents.  
Mercifully, the couch finally landed in the familiar spot outside of the Hallow House shield. Hurrying because of the cold, they made their way into the climate-controlled shelter of the bubble. "Welcome back, hollered Nicolas Gudgeon, who was crossing the courtyard as they walked in. "So glad to see you, again. Mick. We were hoping to see you for a few minutes while you are here. It is rather important. I know you are busy and all. But you need to take time for this," he implored.  
"Okay, Nick. Be there in a minute," relented Mick. "You folks find a shady spot and I will be right back. As soon as Hermione gets here, it is off to Canberra."  
Mick disappeared into the dining hall while Harry and Ginny found a discreet spot for a little snogging while Ron watched the goi. A few minutes passed, not that Harry or Ginny were keeping track of time.  
"Excuse me," came a voice. It was Hermione. "Not interrupting anything important, am I," she sniggled. Harry and Ginny sat up straight and tried to smooth their clothes. Ron saw them and walked quickly over, hugging Hermione and giving her a big snog.  
"We are waiting for Mick. He got called into the dining hall to talk with some folks. It seemed important. No idea what it is," said Harry.  
A few moments later Mick came out of the hall and looked around, spotting them, he came straight over.  
"Well," he began with a clap of his hands. "We have a little complication." The smiling faces that were looking at him turned into four faces loaded with apprehension.  
"What's wrong?" asked Harry.  
Mick cleared his throat. You could see him search for the right thing to say. "Well…nothing is exactly wrong. It is just our schedule is going to be bowled a bit of a floater?"  
"How's that?" asked Hermione, suddenly concerned that the schedule, in effect the plan, was going to change. She didn't like things going off plan.  
"It seems we are, shall I say in the most politically correct way, 'expected' to be here tomorrow morning with your parents to meet with the residents of Hallow House. I can feel rather safe in saying it is not really a negotiable request. I am going to dash off and meet with John immediately and then get on the road back here with your parents. It is a long drive back around to here, and a healthy hike back up here from the end of the road. You folks jump back into your cottage and relax. I will be back as quickly as possible."  
Mick was gone in a flash of apparition. "What a load of waffle," declared Ron. "Who are they to be demanding things like this?  
"Yes, agreed Ginny. "How is it they can just tell the prime minister what and when to do things? I say we go demand some answers."  
"Easy," said Harry. "I understand the upset, but I don't think we'll get anywhere going in there and blowing a fuse."  
I think Harry's right," said Hermione. "I think we need to wait and see. I am sure we will get an explanation when the time is right."  
"You are the boss, Hermione," said Ron. "It's all about you and your parents. If you say wait, then I guess I'll wait?"  
"Thanks, Ron," she said. "I think we need to wait".  
Ginny leaned over and whispered to Harry, "I don't understand this heart thing completely, but I like this new Ron. He best not mess things up with her."


	36. The Big Reveal

Mick and Hermione's parents arrived late at night, long after the four of them had turned in. It can be assumed the walk up from the end of the road was arduous at best, without considering how tired they probably were. It is a fair assumption that Mick had a high-powered lumos spell working the entire way. Otherwise, the trek would be way too treacherous in the middle of the night. One can only imagine what he had told the prime minister to make and smooth over the deal. Seeing it play out will make for an interesting hand of cards.  
Ginny was the first up. She was conditioned to rise early and go to work baking. She was surprised to see Hermione's parents asleep on the couch and Mick laid back in a chair. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb them. That trip had to be exhausting, even without any details.  
She quietly went about making some tea. There was no need to start baking. The elves would surely provide a sumptuous breakfast once everyone was up and about. Hermione, then Ron came out a bit later. Was Hermione's heart going to cure Ron's insatiable desire to sleep in? Will wonders never cease? Once Harry appeared, they stealthily slipped outside to wait until the rest of the group arose.  
"I wonder what this is all about?" said Ginny.  
"I have no idea," replied Harry. "I cannot imagine it not being really important. The whole thing seems insane."  
"Yeah, insane," said Ron, standing up and walking in circles. "They better have a good reason for this."  
"We're just going to have to wait," sighed Hermione, patting the spot next to her trying to encourage Ron to sit down.  
They continued chatting, fretting, pondering until the door open and Mick came out. "Your parents are freshening up a bit," he said, looking at Hermione. "You head over to the dining hall and we'll be there directly."  
The group went over and selected some food and drinks. None of them had much of an appetite. Even Ron showed back up at the table with a modest portion. They were all too keyed up to really eat. They just nibbled at their plates waiting for Mick and Hermione's parents.  
When they finally arrived, Mick took them up and started them at the buffet. All three of them got healthy platefuls. The ordeal of getting here last night apparently translated into some hungry people.  
The buzz in the room seemed strange this morning. They all picked up on it. Something was different. It made the group nervous.  
Harry suggested that it was because there were a couple muggles eating here. It is a good possibility that they are the first muggles to ever see this place, let alone eat at it. He said it was best to just mind our business and wait for things to happen.  
After a few minutes, almost everyone in the room left. The only remainders were them, Mick and four others, including Nicolas Gudgeon. He often appeared to be some type of leader among the other Hallow House residents.  
The Grangers finished their meal and the group was about to leave. Nicolas Gudgeon walked over and introduced himself to the Grangers. He told them the search and rescue of them was a major issue to all of the people of Hallow House. "It has caused almost ceaseless talk and discussion since the day their daughter and her friends arrived. Everyone here has discussed the very existence of our place in relation to the lessons taught by your daughter and friends. Their actions, words and deeds have impacted us to our very core. We want all of you to come to a meeting of the entire population over in the next building. We are going to have an assembly and an announcement that should be of interest to everyone. Would you please follow us?  
They filed out of the building and headed next door. "What's going on?" Ron asked Mick.  
I am not entirely sure," said Mick. "I am a bit in the dark about it like you. But I can tell you one thing. It is going to be big. I am a bit nervous, too."  
Nicolas opened the door and led everyone in. It appeared this was another building like the dining hall, not tricked up with extension spells like their cabin. "This is our assembly hall," said Nicolas. "Everyone is waiting inside."  
He waved his wand and two large doors opened. The room behind them was huge. They were wrong about the extension charms. This room was all about extension charms. But the real story was the number of people seated inside.  
Blimey, Harry," choked out Ron. "There's got to be a thousand people in here."  
Two thousand seven hundred and forty-eight," volunteered Nicolas.  
Nicolas led them toward the head of the hall. A man in a colorful robe and kufi was sitting at the head table. As they got closer, Ron blurted out, "Gor blimey! That's Kingsley Shacklebolt. What is he doing here?"  
Upon their arrival up front, they were seated at the head table. Mick was seated off to the side. Nicolas walked over and hit the podium and pressed his wand against his neck to amplify his voice. "Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming. We have several special guests this morning. First let's welcome back our good friends Hermione Granger, Harry Potter and Ron and Ginny Weasley. They are here today having succeeded in solving a most vexing set of problems and successfully finding and restoring the memories of Hermione's parents. I don't think I need to bring up the amount of discussion that this whole situation generated. It is why we are here today. Next to Hermione are her parents. Please welcome them. Alan and Jeannine Granger. The entire room rose to its feet and cheered and clapped for a very long time.  
When the ovation settled down, Nicolas restarted his speaking. We have taken several polls and a final vote. Ninety-five percent of you voted yes. I believe all of you in this room make up that ninety-five percent. I contacted the International Confederation of Magic and informed them of our vote and our intention. I invited them to come speak to you. They graciously accepted. And now, representing the International Confederation of Magic, please welcome the United Kingdom Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt.  
Kingsley was welcomed with a standing ovation matching that for the Grangers. After a few moments, he raised his arms so he could proceed with his remarks.  
"Greetings to all of you from the entire wizarding community. We are thrilled, overwhelmed, humbled to be welcoming you all home, many of you after many years of absence."  
'There have been rumors of a place like Hallow House for many years, but none could be substantiated. At least not until now. When the First Wizarding War began in 1970, many of our friends and family members fell victim to the forces of evil led by Lord Voldemort. Even more of the same began disappearing, most all have been long given up as dead. The deaths and disappearance continued right up until recent times with the reappearance of Lord Voldemort. Thankfully, thanks in large part to the people seated here," he pointed at Hermione, Harry, Ginny and Ron, "Voldemort was defeated and vanquished forever by their destruction of his horcruxes."  
'The search to find all of our missing friends and family members has gone on for many years. Today, you are solving the search for two thousand seven hundred and forty-eight of them. We have never forgotten or given up the hope of one day finding you. Plans are actively moving forward to get all of you home and reunited with your families. For those who have chosen not to give up their hidden identities for whatever reason, your secret and this place will disappear from all knowledge."  
"So, to all of you, I say WELCOME HOME!"  
Kingsley stepped down from the podium and walked to the group, greeting them like the friends they had become through the years, through the ordeals. Hermione introduced him to her parents. Harry called up Mick and introduced him as the guide who made this all happen. After all, where would they have been without him?  
Kingsley pulled Hermione and her parents aside. "Have no fears or worry," he told them. "The Ministry is going to welcome you to London the second you arrive. We will guide and protect you until you are safely settled back into your lives as a happy family."  
Hermione told him her intentions of traveling home with Harry, Ron and Ginny. He again assured her that the Ministry had all of them covered. "Take your time," he said. "Everything will be handled. Get back as soon as you can, but don't rush yourself. Enjoy these moments. They are the good parts of life."


	37. Homeward Bound…Finally

"Where were all of these people at, Harry?" asked Ron.  
"I think there is a lot more to this place than we ever could have imagined," came the reply.  
"I think it was desperation," chimed in Hermione.  
'Come, again," asked Harry.  
"They were desperate, Harry. Desperate to escape, to be safe. It was that same feeling of desperation that caused the mess with my parents. I just didn't deal with it as well. This place was created to be so secret that no one could find it. The original people came here by choice. The additional thousands came here by choice. I have no idea how they got invited, but they made a choice. I made the choice for my parents. It was a bad choice, but necessary at the time. I wish I had done it differently. I wish I had more information…"  
"…Stop it!" interrupted Ginny. "Quit beating yourself up. It happened. It is over, and everything is going to be better for it."  
"Yeah, that's right, Mione," said Ron. "Everything is going to be fine."  
Mick, who had been talking to Kingsley and Hermione's parents interrupted them. "We need to sort things out with the prime minister. We need to still give him his moment. I am going to leave to see him, now. I will smooth things over and get it set up. I'll be back as quickly as possible."  
Everyone in the room was so involved in the excitement of the moment they never saw Mick disappear, not that it would have mattered. "Wow, Harry," gushed Ron, still overcome with everything that had happened this morning. "I thought we were just going to say thanks and be on our way. Can you believe this?"  
"I can't explain how I feel. It is going to take a while." was all Harry could say.  
"It seems our life is never what it seems," observed Ginny. 'It is never normal."  
"I could use a little normal," sighed Hermione.  
"Me, too, Mione," said Ron putting an arm around her and pulling her close. "My heart would like that."  
That's MY heart, Ronald," Hermione noted with some raised eyebrows."  
"Yeah, right. Your heart. But I think my heart wants that, too."  
Ginny leaned in close to Hermione and quietly said," Who is this guy?"  
"I don't know. But I like him," she whispered back.  
"Well, don't tell him that," she giggled. Hermione joined her in the giggling. Ron sat there, not knowing what had just happened.  
The rest of the morning was consumed by small talk, getting to know some of the people they had not, as yet, met. A lady named Bertha Prewett, who they had met previously, came over and told Ron and Ginny that she was their mother's cousin, although they had never met. She had long been listed as missing, presumed dead. She hoped to meet the whole of the Weasley family when she got home to London.  
Mick made his return just after lunch. The meeting and eventual departure on the long trek home was set. They would have the press conference at one-thirty tomorrow afternoon. After that, the Grangers, including Hermione, would be whisked away by jet to Sydney, then non-stop to London...first class all of the way.  
Hermione informed Mick that she would actually be traveling with Ron, Harry and Ginny. Mick said no problem. At this point in the game, that was a small potato.  
That evening was a celebration, the likes of which Hallow House had never seen in all of these years. Not only was it about the success of the search and rescue of the Grangers, but about the beginning of the repatriation of some many of them with their long-estranged families. The elves spared no effort in providing a feast fit for royalty.  
The party went on late into the evening with fine food, drinks, music and dancing. They eventually found themselves enjoying one last soak in the big pool. Her parents said they wished they could come back to this place for a holiday. Sadly, said Hermione, she thought she understood them to say all memory of how to get here was going to disappear once they left for the protection of the few who decided to stay safely cloaked in the little Utopia.  
Late in the evening, perhaps some might say middle of the night, Mick led the Grangers down the mountain to the vehicle he had left hidden at the end of the road. They started the grueling trek back to Canberra. The Grangers slept in the back as he drove through the night, dodging the occasional kangaroo or wombat.  
They arrived with plenty of time to freshen up at the hotel room, which Mick had kept for them. Harry, Ron and Hermione arrived much earlier than expected. They claimed a need to do some last-minute shopping. "Girls are like that," said Ron, receiving a swat in stereo from the two of them.  
At noon, a government van picked them up from in front of the hotel. It was showtime. They chattered nervously, wondering how this would go, what questions they would be asked, how they should answer them.  
Mick said, "Just be honest. Speak from the heart, like Ron does on most occasions." Ron liked being held up as the example of proper behavior. He was more accustomed to being on the other end of that spectrum.  
When they arrived at Parliament House they were ushered into a big room full of people putting up lights, sound equipment and chairs for the press. Carol was there, coordinating things. She told them not to worry, this was John's world. Just watch and follow his leads. "It will be a piece of cake," she said. "Just be yourselves."  
They were seated off to the side of the dais where John could address the press from a podium. About two minutes before one-thirty the press all took their seats like the had hundreds of times before. This was old hat to them. At one-thirty on the tick, John walked in, all smiles, to a bit of applause from some of the visitors.  
"Good morning," said John, stepping to the microphone laden podium. "This is a very happy occasion, today. A bit of a celebration. I am certain we all remember the advertisements asking for help in finding the lost couple from England. You may well have gotten tired of seeing my face on them," he chuckled. "Thousands of you responded with tips and leads. Today we are here to announce the success of these efforts. Would all of you step up and join me?" he signaled to the group. On cue the Grangers, followed by Hermione, then Ron, Harry and Ginny made their way onto the stage.  
"Relax," said Hermione to herself, "Focus."  
The press core all applauded as the group lined up next to John. When the applause died down, John said. "Please give a big Australian welcome to Alan and Jeannine Granger." There was another round of applause followed by John introducing the rest of the ensemble. Hermione, then her parents, gave their heartfelt thanks to all Australia for their help. The floor was then opened up to questions.  
The questions were many and covered any and all aspects of the long ordeal. The group handled them with great aplomb, doing their best to be thorough, without crossing the lines between the magic and muggle worlds.  
Following the conclusion of the press conference, they were all taken up to John's office for a bit of a private celebration featuring a cake and some sparkling Australian wine. The whole team was there: John, Carol, Trevor, Mick and the rest. After a piece of cake and a bubbly toast, Hermione announced it was time for presents. Everyone looked around to see a collection of gift that had somehow magically appeared in the room.  
"Let's start with this big one," said Hermione, like she was doling out presents at a Christmas party. "Ah yes, it says to John. Lifting it up, she extended her arms so she was carrying it her upward pointing palms as she approached him.  
"This is not much, but it is for you to remember this event and the thanks from my family for all of your assistance," she said while bowing.  
"This is not necessary," replied John. "I did not help 'that' much, and I did it to help you, not for a reward.  
"Please," said Hermione. "It will greatly please us to know you have this remembrance.  
John was familiar with Japanese gift customs, so even though he accepted it, he did not move to open it.  
Finally, Ginny said, "Please go ahead and open it. We want to know you like it. It's a girl thing, okay," she giggled.  
John opened the wrapping to find an autographed cricket bat with papers from Sir Donald Bradman, the most famous cricketer in Australian history. "This is too much, girls. Wherever did you find this? I am stunned."  
"We're girls. We know how to shop," said Hermione. The truth was they had bent a few magical rules, but the end result was they got it at a fair price and in time to deliver it.  
Okay, let's move on, said Hermione as she picked up an envelope and turned to Trevor. "We have a jet to catch for my parents. Trevor, your help was unbelievable. I do not know how you found half of what you did. But this search would never have succeeded without you. She bowed, Japanese-style and extended her hands outward to him. He was taken a little aback, but took the envelope from her. "Please open it," she said.  
Trevor carefully tore it open and pulled out the contents. He stood, at a loss for words as he looked at them. "What is it, man?" said John, finally. "Out with it."  
"It's…uh…it's an airplane ticket to the US and a hotel reservation so I can attend the upcoming International Symposium on Computer Architecture in Portland Oregon. It's like the most important computer show in the world. I…I…uh…I don't know how to thank you."  
"You already have," said Hermione. "Now let's see. Who's next? AH! Carol. Oh, my! Look at the time. We have to leave for the airport. Ginny, here, take one, we need to move."  
Ginny stepped up and took an envelope. Together, they bowed and extended the gifts, one to Mick and the other to Carol. "Please accept these small tokens of our appreciation.  
Mick and Carol took their envelopes. They went ahead and opened them. There was another silence as they examined their gifts.  
"What have you got, Mick?" asked Trevor.  
"I've got a ticket to a concert at the Sydney Opera House and another ticket for a 5-day cruise to New Zealand."  
"I've got the same thing," said Carol.  
Ginny and Hermione broke from their formal little Japanesque act. "Ron!" screamed Ginny. "You complete prat! You ruined everything. They were each supposed to get one of the pairs, so they could invite a friend."  
"Ginny and I did all this shopping and work," snarled Hermione with fire in her eyes. "You had one job to do, and you made a shamble of it!"  
"Are you dead from the neck up!?" screamed Ginny as Ron collapsed in shame on the couch by the door.  
"John. Can you still get me a ticket with my parents? I am not going an inch further with this arse." John nodded.  
Hermione's parents were standing in shock.  
"Harry…" begged Ron.  
"You're on your own with this one, mate," said Harry. "I'll fight Voldemort or a dragon, but I not foolish…"  
"…Give me back my heart!" demanded Hermione, the statement adding confusion to the shock on the faces of her parents and John. Ron had more or less curled into a fetal position. "I want my heart back, Ronald Weasley! You can have yours when I finish stomping…"  
"WHOA! WHOA! WHOA!" hollered Mick loud enough to actually stop Hermione mid-tantrum. "Carol and I have a solution."  
"What is it, may I ask?" inquired Hermione.  
"Carol is going to take me to the show in Sydney. I am going to take her on the cruise to New Zealand. Okay?  
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other. "Why didn't we think of that?" said Ginny. "We want lots of pictures."  
Hermione looked at Ron, who was still cowering. "Don't think for a minute that this changes things."  
"We have to go," said Harry.  
The group all exchanged final hugs and made it to the door. John pulled Hermione aside and said. "You sat that up with Mick and Carol, didn't you?  
"Was it that obvious?"  
"No, but I am a politician. I can see things. It's about time. Mick's been a bit dim with her. Thank you."  
Hermione beamed a wide smile, then turned and walked away.  
They made it out front to the waiting van. Alan and Jeannine were dropped off at the airport. "Remember to look for the Ministry people when you get there," Hermione reminded them.  
They had the driver drop them back at the hotel.  
"You were brilliant, Ron," said Hermione.  
"It's been…"  
"…Shut it,"  
"Right. But you two were bloody scary."  
"Remember that," smirked Ginny.  
Once in their room, they apparated to Hallow House. All they had to do was wait for the Giant Petrels to arrive. Then it would be the long flight to Mahoutokoro.


	38. North…To the Far East

Hallow House was abuzz with life, which stood in stark contrast to the way it had always been in the past. The residents, who had so successfully hidden in the magic maze comprising the complex were free to come and go as they pleased. They wished, in a way, they had time to tour the entire facility. They felt they had only seen the tip of the iceberg. They suspected the vast majority of the place was still hidden away, unknown to them.  
"Excuse me, said Nicolas Gudgeon, walking up to Harry and Ginny. They were strolling about hand in hand, enjoying a peaceful moment, trying to not dwell on the remaining trip. "I have been informed that your petrels are waiting for you."  
"Thanks," said Harry, as they turned to go back and tell Ron and Hermione.  
A few moments later they emerged from their cabin for the final time. Hundreds of people watched and shouted their best wishes and thanks to them as they passed out through the shield wall. "We love all of you! Thank you!" shouted Hermione as she stepped through.  
The boys took the front positions on the birds for what would be the first leg. As soon as Hermione and Ginny got aboard the giant birds spread their wings and Hallow House became a happy dream from their past.  
The birds stopped to feed and rest on a small atoll in the Arafura Sea shortly after they cleared the northern coast of Australia. Hermione pulled out some drinks and snack she had stashed away. Before too long they were back in the air with the girls taking the front.  
Later, they took a second break for the birds on a small island east of the Philippines. The group felt that was none too soon, as they all were past ready for a potty stop. They had mastered passing out snacks while in flight earlier with the help of the accio summoning spell. From there, it was straight on to Mahoutokoro. Master Yoshitsune and several others greeted them upon their arrival. They felt pretty good, having slept a good portion of the trip thanks to Hermione's portkey comfort spell. It apparently worked on petrel flights, too.  
Hermione greeted the master and the others, apologizing for not bringing her parents, as muggles do not travel by magical means. She offered a gift as a small token of the great help they had received from the school. It was a healing stone amulet given to them by Doctor Owen before they left. "We had many more trials after reaching Australia before we achieved our goal. At one point we were taken to a witch doctor. I do not understand her magic, but it is very different from ours, and also very powerful. We were given amulets to heal and clear evil from whatever it touches. We wish for the school to have one for remembrance of our visit and our eternal friendship," she said bowing and offering it to him.  
"Thank you, Hermione," started Master Yoshitsune," but a gift such as this should return to your school. It is too much for the small part we played in your quest."  
"No, please take it. We wish for it to be with you…" As Hermione continued her bow, a second amulet that hung around her neck slipped from her jumper. She jumped, feeling uncertain of how that would appear to the master.  
"I now understand your wishes and its power. We will be proud to receive this gift."  
The master offered Hermione a cherry tree seedling grown from a prized tree on the school grounds. It came with the promise of producing wand wood of the finest quality.  
She accepted it with the promise that the grounds at Hogwarts would be blessed by its presence and that the famous wandmaker Garrick Ollivander would be given full access to it when it was ready, so its wood could be turned into his finest wands.  
They decided to spend an entire day at the school. Master Yoshitsune had requested they tell the entire school about their successful trip at a banquet in their honor. Knowing what they had not during their first visit, that Mahoutokoro was a day school, they now understood the honor of the banquet held before the student body.  
They told the assembled group the story of the rescue of her parents in fine detail. You could see great interest on the part of many, especially the masters, when they told of the night with Mother Matavan. After answering many questions from the students, the atmosphere in the room became less formal. The group mingled among the students, answering questions of a less serious, sometimes frivolous nature. Suddenly, the crack of a hot spell ricocheting off a wand jarred the room. Four people were engaged in an escalating duel near the wall of the room.  
Two students, who they would later come to know as Stomo and Yutaka, had apparently provoked Ginny and Harry into an impromptu duel. They were the dueling champions of the school and known for their aggressive, cocksure arrogance on the dueling floor. They were, in a different sense, the Malfoys of Mahoutokoro.  
The impact of the spells cast by their cherry wands with dragon heartstring core hit with exceptional impact. Harry and Ginny found themselves stuck in a defensive posture, backing up against the onslaught.  
The firepower being exchanged was hot and heavy. A lot of students were gathered to watch. There was an ever-present chance this could end ugly.  
Finally, Ginny deflected a vicious spell into a cart of cleared dishes and bowls causing them to explode into the room. Her opponent flinched. "Volatilis Lutum!" shouted Ginny with a slashing wand wave. "Expelliarmus!" Her foe found himself on his back with a torrent of bats flying out of his nose and his wand rolling away from him. He was finished, with Ginny staring down her wand at him.  
Harry's opponent was aggressively throwing repeated strikes of dragon fire his way. Harry managed to use the waterball trap spell Dumbledore had taught him after the battle in the Ministry. It bounced off the ceiling and wall on way to capturing his opponent. It quickly rendered him incapable of continuing, a wet and beaten opponent gasping for air.  
Several masters pulled the defeated students away. They were clearly very unhappy. Master Yoshitsune stepped up to Harry and Ginny. He bowed and offered the apology of the school for the dishonorable behavior of his students. Harry bowed back saying "We must accept blame as well. Our response to their challenges was most inappropriate. We offer our sincere apology for our undisciplined acts."  
The master appeared to accept this mutual blame solution. The two students then walked up to Harry and Ginny. They bowed very humbly and offered their prized, cherry wands as appeasement for their transgressions. "Our behavior was very dishonorable," began one of the students as Master Tomita translated. "We humbly apologize for them. Please accept our wands as tokens of our sincere apologies."  
Hermione and Ron were standing nearby, very concerned with the potential for damage to all the good things they had achieved at Mahoutokoro. Hermione stepped up to Harry and began whispering in his ear. He nodded several times.  
Harry and Ginny accepted the wands. Harry then spoke up. "These are now our wands. We have won then in combat against these two opponents. Since they are now ours, we are free to use them and do as we please with them."  
Harry gave Ginny a nod and stepped forward to address the two students. With a bow, he said, "We also apologize for our behavior in choosing to engage in this unwise event. We wish you to accept these wands as our gift to you for the skillful combat between us. We hope you will use them with more maturity than we displayed in entering this combat."  
The students were unsure of how to react. They looked to their masters, who gave them a nod allowing them to regain possession of their lost wands. Once again, face was saved.  
"I really wanted to keep that wand," said Ginny. "It felt amazing in my hand."  
"I did, as well," agreed Harry. "But, we did the correct thing. Maybe we can talk to Mr. Ollivander when we get home."  
"Yes," she smiled. "I like that idea."  
Master Yoshitsune once again invited them to a soak in their onsen. Ginny quickly said, "We will all be honored to join you." Ron gave her a vicious scowl. Harry and Hermione chuckled to each other.  
The group went to their quarters to prepare for their bath. As they crossed the grounds on the way, Harry asked Ron if he was okay. "Yes," he said. "You know I don't like this, but I have to go. Hermione touched her heart a couple days ago, I could feel her do it. I touched mine. It is really there. She really has it." Harry paused, and then his face registered the implications of what Ron had just said.  
Reaching the onsen, the girls were once again already waiting for them from inside the hot, bubbling, natural waters. They giggled as the boys once again struggled to make a modest entry. After a few moments, Ginny started moving toward Harry, stopping close, but at a respectful of the settings distance. Hermione swam out into the center and around the group. She moved back to the edge and started sliding over toward Ron. He tensed for a moment but did not try to move away as she moved into a position similar to Ginny's. Harry looked at him and smiled, then smiled at Ginny.


	39. We’re Going Home…by Couch

The next morning, they noticed the carriage portkey sitting in the courtyard. Master Yoshitsune told them to look under the seat. Neagoe had informed him that everything necessary for their return trip was located there inside a box.  
As they prepared to leave ahead of the first student-laden petrels, Hermione once again offered them a gift. It was a photo album of all of them and her parents. Mick, with all his powers, had gotten it together, including shots from the press conference, in magical time. The master accepted it, saying it would be displayed with the other gifts from their visits.  
He offered in thanks for being allowed to be part of their quest a box containing eight large, white speckled eggs. "These are eggs from our petrels. Keep them warm for about one month. It can be the beginning of new travel at your school."  
"Hermione smiled as she took them. "Professor Rubeus Hagrid will be most delighted. He will provide them the best of care."  
They loaded themselves into the carriage. Ginny spoke up before they took off saying, "I am sorry for losing my cool and letting those boys provoke me into that duel. I am very disappointed in myself. I need to learn better self-restraint. It was a good thing Harry was there to help me. They were very powerful duelers."  
"It is okay, Ginny," said Harry. "It was a learning experience for several of us. I think they are in a lot of trouble we will never know about with their masters. I am glad Hermione was there with a good solution that seems to have saved the friendship between us and the school."  
Hermione waved her wand. Seconds later the carriage disappeared on the way to Romania. They chatted idly for a bit, then Harry said it was probably napping time. Hermione opened the box and pulled out the vial of the sleeping draught. She looked at Ron, who surprised her by taking it from her hand and swallowing his portion. As he wilted back in his seat Hermione and Ginny looked at each other with wide-open eyes. "Whatever have you done with my brother?" asked Ginny. Hermione just smiled, took a sip and handed the bottle to Ginny. She pulled Ron to her, his head against her breast as she slipped away. Ginny took a drink, laid down with her head in Harry's lap. As she faded away Harry took the remainder of the draught and joined the rest in a peaceful sleep.  
Several hours later, or maybe a few seconds, they found themselves awakening to the mountains between the Caspian and Black seas. Ron opened the snack box and passed around the contents as they marveled at the view. The shores of Romania were a welcome sight. Before long they would be with Charlie and the dragons. That meant they would be home to England in another day. The culmination of their trip.  
As the mountains of Romania grew larger, they knew they were getting close. Then there was the whoosh of a giant, green tail. "Bloody Hell!" shouted Ron, almost falling out of the carriage. "They still have that bleeding Longhorn flying about." Seconds later it made another pass, spewing out a blast of dragon fire. "I'm going to kill Charlie."  
Charlie was waiting for them when they landed. He grabbed each of them, giving them warm hugs. "Good to see you all safely back. I am so happy for you, Hermione."  
"Thanks, Charlie," she said.  
Neagoe, having heard all of the commotions, had come outside. Seeing them, he sprinted their way.  
"So good to see you all!" he cheered.  
The group snapped to attention and bowed. He laughed but returned the greeting. "We are most grateful for all your teachings. We hope we used them well. Please accept these gifts as our small way of saying thanks," said Hermione.  
"That is not necessary," said Neagoe. "I did it to help you and my friend, Charlie. No gift is necessary."  
"Please, we wish you to have this to commemorative the success of our trip."  
Neagoe relented an accepted their offerings. The first was a framed picture of them in their pink, cherry blossom dress robes. The second was a bottle of Dassai 23 sake, which they had actually bought in Canberra on Mick's assertion that it was the best of the best. Finally, Charlie was given a pair of Imperial Jade chopsticks.  
Neagoe had been caught off guard and was not prepared to reciprocate, but he offered them some Pálinka he had in his office. They accepted it on the basis of it being held off until later.  
"We got several reports on your progress from a bloke named Mick. Not that any of you could have spared a minute to write."  
Hermione, the writer of the group turned red and looked down. "I'm sorry. It's just that we were a bit busy…"  
…Neagoe cut her off, laughing. "…No worries. Just poking you. Mick was writing them to Mahoutokoro. They forwarded them to us. We forwarded them home. We would like to hear the account first hand, though." Of course, they all agreed.  
Charlie, Ron and Harry took off the look at some baby dragons that were born days earlier. Neagoe talked with Hermione and Ginny about the reports he had received from Mahoutokoro. He said, "They were incredibly impressed with the lot of you. The way you handled yourselves, presented yourself. You gave them a horcrux as a gift. My God! What were you thinking?"  
Hermione and Ginny cringed a little, wondering if they might have made an up to now unrealized major mistake.  
"That was inspired"  
Hermione and Ginny gave a collective sigh of relief. "You may as well have given them Voldemort, himself. To a group who live in large part by the old Bushido samurai codes, this was beyond any estimate of value."  
"Actually, it was a bit of an accident, sir," said Hermione as Neagoe's eyes blew open. "I forgot the gift giving part and had nothing prepared. Harry said do something. I was panicking. I reached into my bag and well it just fell into my hand. I had nothing else…"  
Neagoe cut her off. "…Don't ever tell anyone else that story. Just say you had planned it all along. You have set fire to the whole magical world. I think London and Japan are going to reconcile their differences and possibly start the reunification of the whole magical world. I have been handling the transfer of messages back and forth almost daily. It is incredible."  
"You have our word, sir," said Hermione as Ginny nodded her agreement.  
The rest of the day involved a lot of gushing about the dragons, young and old, by Ron. They talked about getting Charlie home for the holidays this year. Neagoe opened up some Pálinka and the toasting of the completion of the quest, the successes of the future and inspirational moments, which meant more to him and the girls than the others realized, were well anointed. The retelling of the quest never sounded better than it did under the cloud created by the Pálinka.  
The next morning found them saying goodbye to Charlie and Neagoe next to a familiar couch. It seems that Charlie had gone back to The Burrows with his father for a surprise visit to mom and the rest of the layabouts, he called them. He had brought it back the next day so it would be here when they returned. Ron hugged him, and Ginny kissed him, telling him he was a great brother. Harry and Ginny assumed Cuddle One and Ron and Hermione got into Cuddle Two. It felt strange without Mickey in the Middle.


	40. Home again –  I Like to be Here When I Can

They were gone in a whoosh. The couch raced on its straight-line path over the beautiful landscape. Much of the time was spent cuddling and snogging, although a nap or two also managed to break up the action. When they arrived at The Burrows there was an enormous delegation there to welcome them, including Kingsley, the Hogwarts staff, Hermione's parents and many, many more. Ron said he was going to kill Charlie for this. So much for his great brother status. The tent used for Bill and Fleur's wedding had been re-erected and elves from Hogwarts had assisted Molly and Fleur in preparing a royal welcome.  
The photographer from The Daily Prophet took countless pictures for a story on their return, which would run below the fold on the front page. On a normal day, it would have appeared as the headline story, but the news of the arrival of the first repatriates was dominating the front page. He had Hermione and her parents, the group and her parents, Kingsley welcoming them back…which, always being politically expedient, is the one they ran under the headline: Grangers Found & Rescued. Parents of Hermione Granger Returned Home with Ministry Help.  
The retelling of their story, which, like a fine wine, improves with time, dazzled all in attendance. From there, the party evolved into small groups of people chatting. Hermione immediately approached professor Trelawney and struck up a conversation. The exact words were spoken out of earshot, but Hermione was very animated in her talking, obviously telling the professor in great detail the events of the groups encounter with Mother Matavan. At the end, a warm embrace was shared between the two, indicating that reconciliation had occurred. Hermione went on from there to pass her N.E.W.T. examination in Divination at the end of the next school year.  
After her talk with the professor, Hermione found a peaceful corner to talk with her parents about their efforts to get resettled. They said the Ministry was helping at every turn. It seems the people who finally bought their home had second thoughts about the amount of work needed to remodel a home that was also a dentist's office. They resold it to them for what they had paid.  
As they continued to chat, Hermione spotted Winky, who had been helping along with the other Hogwarts elves, sitting quietly against the wall. "I will be back in a minute," she said excusing herself from her parents and walking over to talk to the lonely elf.  
"Hello, Winky," she said. "Thank you for being here to help. How are you?"  
"Winky is doing well, Mistress Hermione. It is a pleasure to serve all of you."  
While this was probably mostly true, it was clear she still felt at a loss without a family to serve on a full-time basis. Winky had been working to kick her butterbeer addiction and recover herself to an acceptable persona. She was not completely there, as yet, but progress had been clearly made.  
"I have a proposition I would like you to consider," asked Hermione. "As a free elf, you have the option of accepting it or it down."  
"Yes, mistress. What do you ask of Winky?"  
"Did you see me talking to my parents? Did you hear the story of us finding them and returning them home?"  
"Yes," replied Winky. "You look very happy. I am glad you found them and brought them home."  
"Well, they have a great deal of work rebuilding their lives. I am wondering if you would like the job of serving the House of Granger and helping them?"  
Winky's face lit up like a child seeing a tree full of presents on Boxing Day. "Winky would be most honored to serve the noble House of Granger."  
"You do know my parents are muggles. No elf has ever served a muggle family. You will be the first. There will also be many other muggles around them. None can see you if you take this job," explained Hermione, being certain to express the implications and dangers of the position.  
"Winky understands, mistress. Winky will be most discreet."  
"Thank you," said Hermione. "Let's go meet my parents."  
Hermione led Winky over to where her parents were standing, waiting for her to return.  
"Mom, dad," she said. "This is my friend, Winky. She is a house elf. You remember me telling you about house elves?"  
"Yes, dear," said her mom. "They seem to be great helpers at your school and for many families."  
"Winky is in need of a family to serve. I asked her if she would like to work as your house elf. She is very excited about the prospect."  
"Yes," interjected Winky. "Winky would be very honored to serve the noble House of Granger. She will work very hard to please you."  
"I don't know, dear. This seems a little odd. I…"  
"…Please. Just say yes," interrupted Hermione. "I will explain everything you will need to know. It will make Winky and me very happy if you say yes. You will not be sorry. I promise."  
"Well, okay," relented her mom, looking at her father, who nodded his acceptance, as well. "If you think it is wise."  
Winky immediately jumped to their side, smiling a smile of complete joy. "Winky is most pleased to have a family to serve, again." Hermione also beamed, thinking of Dobby, knowing that he was smiling down on them from wherever it is that elves go in the afterlife, as she led them to some chairs where she could explain how this new relationship would work.  
Molly found Ginny's work baking at the camp most fascinating and wanted her to show off the way her skills had grown. Harry found himself having an unusual conversation with Mr. Weasley about family things and bringing up his kids. It was interesting but didn't seem to connect with Harry. But it was important to Arthur, who had apparently been tipped off about how close Harry and Ginny were becoming. Ron had a great time talking about dragons and other fun stuff with his brothers.  
The Hogwarts staff talked to them all about returning to finish their studies. Kingsley talked to them about opportunities within the Ministry. It was all too early and they were way overdue for some pure relaxation. Hagrid was completely amazed at receiving the eggs. He had heard of them but had never seen one. He said he was going to study up on them and be the best parent the babies could ever imagine.  
As the gathering wound down and the four of them had found each other, Ginny said she had talked to her father earlier about building a spa out behind the house. "He really likes the idea," she said. "He is going to talk to some folks about it."  
Ron then remembered the talk he wanted to have with his dad and mom about Ginny. He excused himself saying, "I just remembered, I need to talk to mom and dad about something."  
Hermione immediately picked up on his intentions. "Ronald Weasley!" she said, the most dangerous of the ways she addressed him on occasion. He stopped and turned back to look at her. She grabbed her jumper right over her heart and made a crushing, clutching move with her hand accompanied with a scowl that could penetrate the thickest of skulls.  
He started back toward them saying, "Yeah. Right. It's not that important."  
Many things that have since occurred in the world, or are fated to yet occur, were set in motion by the events of these pages. But those are stories for another day. For now, the world is, as the world should always be.

Nox


	41. Epilogue

One morning, during the weeks following the end of the story, a parcel arrived at The Burrows via a very exhausted owl. It was addressed to Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron. The return address indicated it had originated from the Office of the Prime Minister of Australia. Mick's name was on it as the sender. Ginny, being the only one of the four at home, opened it, to find another parcel labeled with instructions that it was only to be opened when all four of them were present.  
"What in the world can this be?" she thought. "I must contact the others, immediately."  
She gathered up three owls from their barn. Aero was not among them. This was too important and urgent for her to risk one of her missives on that misguided creature. She composed three copies of a note reading: I just received a package from Australia here at The Burrows. It says we all need to be present to open it. Please hurry. It is driving me bloody barmy wondering what is inside. – Ginny.  
The first owl left for Hermione at her parent's home. She was living there in her old room until she found a place of her own. The next owl left for 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry was staying there, now that he had gotten onto good terms with Kreacher. The last one was to the Ministry, where Ron was helping out on a temporary basis with his father.  
Several hours passed before she heard the sound of someone reappearing after they had apparated. She opened the door to find Hermione and a warm hug waiting. A short while later Ron walked in. Hermione greeted him with a hug and a snog before he could say much of anything.  
"Is Harry here?" he asked, finally getting a chance to say something. "Where's this mystery package?"  
"There on the table," replied Ginny. "It is making me crazy. Where is he?"  
Ron picked up the package and began looking, turning, shaking it like some clue as to its contents might magically appear. "Let's just open it," said Ron. "I think this wrapping is a bit loose."  
Hermione took it from him with a laugh. She started to do much of the same as Ron before looking at the two of them. "What!" she exclaimed, trying to sound indignant before putting it down. But that charade would not work as she could not contain her laughter at her own behavior.  
Harry finally walked in. The three of them just stared at him like he had done something wrong. Ginny finally jumped to him with a big hug and snog. "We have been going barmy waiting for you," she said.  
Ron picked up the package saying, "Let's open it."  
Ginny took it from him and said, "I saw it first." Everyone laughed at her.  
She opened it to find several more smaller packages inside, each with a number on it. Taking the one labeled Number 1, she opened it to find a letter from Carol.  
Dear Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron,  
Mick insisted I write to you, as he is not fond of letter writing. He wanted you to know how much he missed you, and how much the time you spent together has meant to him. The events of your visit have changed the whole world, not just for him, but for so many people. He cannot thank you enough, nor send you too much love…especially to his little professor, Ginny, whatever that means." Everyone looked at her and smiled.  
"I must confess to having similar feelings. You are very special, young people. The things you did and went through in the name of love and friendship were very inspirational. It has changed my entire outlook on the world.  
Mick and I had a most wonderful time in Sydney, but the cruise was really special. I could go on and on about them, but I would rather you just open package Number 2.  
All of our love,  
Carol and Mick  
"That was a really nice letter," said Ron. "I get a good feeling from it."  
Ginny and Hermione looked at each other and grinned.  
Ginny took the second package and tore it open. It was a thick stack of pictures. They started with them arriving in Sydney, then progressed through them dressed to the nines for the event. There was dinner before pictures, touring around town shots and post-show drink and snack pictures. They obviously had a premier league good time.  
Then came a thicker stack detailing the cruise. It chronicled in great detail their adventure both on and off the ship. This gift looked like it turned out to be a great idea. There was a general consensus that their relationship was headed in the right direction with a good head of steam.  
They all wondered what was left as Ginny opened the final package. Ginny gasped as she looked inside. "What is it, Gin," asked Harry.  
"OH MY GOD!" she nearly screamed. "It's wedding invitations. They are GETTING MARRIED!"  
The whole room exploded in cheers, hugs, kisses and general elation. This was the best news possible.  
In addition to the invitations for a Christmas wedding, that is during the summertime in Australia, were two notes. The first was instructions for them to contact the Australian Embassy in London prior to the wedding date. John, it said, had insisted on arranging their travel and stay for the event. The other was a personal note from Carol.  
Dear Ginny, Harry, Hermione and Ron,  
Thank you once again. John has confessed to me that you had a bit of a role in Mick's recent transformation. I am not fully sure I understand it all, but I am ever so grateful for it.  
Of course, that is a small confession compared to Mick's. I thought I was marrying the gentleman I had wanted for some time. Turns out I am marrying a wizard. We'll have to talk more about that when you get here.  
Love.  
Carol  
The four of them shared a warm, affectionate chuckle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you very much for taking the time to read my story. I hope you found it enjoyable. I would love to hear your comments about it.
> 
> A second story, which is not exactly a sequel, but uses some of the invented elements in this story, will be posted. It is titled "A Visit from an Old Friend" with the R in Friend struck out to create the word Fiend.


End file.
